Sunday Scripture

 

For the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 9 of the study.  We were to read Psalm 95, and the verses to SOAP were Psalm 95:1-2.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

S= "O come, let us sing unto the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms."  (Psalm 95:1-2)

O= This is an exhortation to worship.  Its intended audience is obviously God's people.

There are a number of repeated words and phrases in these two verses."O come" (v.1); "let us come" (v.2); "let us sing" (v.1); "let us make a joyful noise" (v.1); "let us come" (v.2).  Both verses contain the phrase "make a joyful noise."

Basically there are four exhortations:

1) Let us sing unto the LORD.

2) Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

3) Let us come before God's presence with thanksgiving.

4) Let us make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

A= I am to be singing to the Lord and making a joyful noise unto Him.  He is the Rock of my salvation -- what a most meaningful name that is! -- and worthy of my highest praise.  My joy at being His redeemed child ought to result in exultant praise to Him for all that He has done.  He is always present with me -- and thus, I ought to be continually thankful.  I don't have to physically go anywhere to come before His presence, for He is always with me.

When I come to Him in prayer, thanksgiving must be a key component along with praise.

To me, the phrase "make a joyful noise" implies that my praise and thanksgiving may well be overheard by others and may be a testimony to them of the greatness of God.

P= "Lord, I do joyfully praise You for all that You are -- the Rock of my salvation and so much more!  I praise You for all that you have done for me in providing the means of salvation and giving me a new life as Your redeemed child.  

"May I live a life that brings honor and glory to You so that "many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:3).

"With a thankful, joyful heart, I praise You, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that concludes our little Thanksgiving Sunday Scripture series.  I hope it was a blessing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Just a quick Thanksgiving post (probably a near repeat of past Thanksgiving posts, but the thoughts are as sincere as ever!) in the midst of preparations for our dinner with friends and family!  We will be a group of about eleven, gathering at our daughter's home in the next town.

I pray that each and every one of my readers will have a truly blessed Thanksgiving.  I know that some are grieving today.  For some it is the first Thanksgiving without a loved one.  Some are going through  very, very difficult health struggles and family concerns.  There are personal friends of mine in all of these situations today.  And yet, as believers, we still have so very much to thank God for.

Think of it!  We have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

  One thing I have come to realize is that even in the hardest things of life, I can be thankful that God is with me.  There are many other things to be thankful for as well: He loves me; He wants the best for me; He is good; He has a good purpose for all that He allows; He knows all about every situation; He is in control and sovereign over all things; He is all-powerful and able to change any situation.

And so today, Mr. T and I pray that each of you will spend some time counting the blessings God has given you.  There are so many, starting with salvation.

The hymn "Thanks to God" is one of my very favorites at Thanksgiving time and always.  Here are the words:

 Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

 Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

 Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." 

(Psalm 100:4)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday Scripture

 

For the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 8 of the study.  We were to read Philippians 4:4-9, and the verses to SOAP were Philippians 4:6-7.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

S=  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. 
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7)

O= Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison in Rome.   
 

C.I.Scofield says, "This is a tender letter to a group of Christians who were especially close to the heart of Paul."

Scofield titles the section containing these verses "The secret of the peace of God."  Paul, in prison at Rome, obviously had that peace.  

He counseled the Philippians to

* Be anxious for nothing
* Instead, in everything
* By prayer and supplication
* With thanksgiving
* Make their requests known to God.

The result would be that God's peace -- the peace which surpasses all human understanding -- would garrison their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Amplified Bible gives a beautiful translation of verse 7: "And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

A= I am not to worry about even one thing.  Of course there are, and will always be, things that concern me.  But I am not to worry about them.  Instead, I'm to bring every concern to God.  

 "Do you ever find yourself worrying? Do you know that Scripture calls worry a sin? When you realized that you were worrying, did you go to God and confess it as a sin? Worry is just as much a sin as adultery, or murder, or theft. Yet how often we as believers treat it lightly when we find our stomachs tied in knots because we have worried ourselves into a nervous frenzy. We don’t realize that we have fallen into sin." -- Dwight Pentecost

 Now that is a challenge!

I'm to pray over every concern that I have, being careful to include the element of thanksgiving for what God has already done and is doing.

I might tend to think that some of my concerns are too small to bring to God.  But Barclay writes: "It has been beautifully put: 'There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care.' A child may take anything, great or small, to a parent, sure that whatever happens to him is of interest there, his little triumphs and disappointments, his passing cuts and bruises; we may in exactly the same way take anything to God, sure of his interest and concern."

Concerning the element of thanksgiving, Pentecost helps our understanding with these thoughts: "Thanksgiving looks back to previous answers to prayer and gives thanks because God has worked in similar situations before. If there is something that is a burden to me today, I can go to God and remind Him that yesterday or last week or last month I was in the same situation, with the same gnawing anxiety, and I asked Him to do something, and He did it; so I thank Him for what He has done. Confidence for the future is based on what God has done in the past."

As I make my requests known to God in this manner, His unfathomable peace will guard not only my heart, but my mind through Christ Jesus.

P= "Lord, I praise You for the clear teaching in Your Word.  I thank You that not only did Paul teach this, but he lived it out and practiced it, providing a wonderful example for the Philippians and for all believers down through the ages.

"Help me, Lord, as I seek to obey Your Word in this area of life.  Help me to bring all of my concerns, large and small, to You in prayer, thanking You for all that You have done in the past, as well as for all that You will do.

"I am so thankful for Your promise that as I do this, Your unfathomable peace will guard my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus.

"I praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

There is the simple Sunday Scripture for this week!  I hope it was a blessing.

Sunday Scripture

I mentioned last week that for the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some simple insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 7 of the study.  We were to read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18, and the verse to SOAP was 2 Corinthians 4:15.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of 2 Corinthians 4:15:

S=  "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God."  (2 Corinthians 4:15)

O= Paul wrote this second letter to the believers at Corinth to address some questions about his sincerity and authority.  In this letter he is placing before the church the overwhelming evidence of his sincerity in serving the Lord.

Here in chapter 4, verse 15 Paul seems to be saying that the suffering he has endured is for the sake of the Cornithians, so that they could see God giving abundant grace in difficulty.  Their thanksgiving for this would redound to the glory of God.  

MacDonald says, "With the certain and sure hope of resurrection before him, the apostle was willing to undergo terrible hardships. He knew that all such sufferings had a twofold result. They abounded in blessing for the Corinthians, and thus caused thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. These two motives actuated Paul in all he said and did. He was concerned with the glory of God and the blessing of his fellow men."

Warren Wiersbe explains that the phrase all things are for your sakes…"gives us the assurance that our sufferings are not wasted: God uses them to minister to others and also to bring glory to His name. How is God glorified in our trials? By giving us the 'abundant grace' we need to maintain joy and strength when the going gets difficult. Whatever begins with grace, leads to glory."  

The Phillips translation reads: 

"The more grace God gives,
The more thanksgiving will redound to His glory.
This is the reason why we never collapse."

The ESV reads, "For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God."

A= Trials that come into our lives are allowed by God for a good purpose.  He gives us the grace that we need to deal with the trials and get through them.  As others see and observe this, they -- and we -- offer thanks and praise to God and this redounds to His glory.  

Paul had faith that God would be glorified in all that was taking place, and I can have that same faith. Our sufferings are never wasted in God's economy.  And what an encouraging thought that is!

John MacArthur wrote, "God’s astounding plan is to use common clay pots (verse 7) to carry the priceless treasure of the glorious gospel to needy sinners. As they humbly, faithfully serve Him, His power flows through them to others. The final result is that more and more people will worship and glorify God."

I need to be more thankful for the grace and strength God gives in trials and for the opportunity He provides through them for Christ's name to be lifted up and glorified.

There were some "Digging Deeper" questions for this verse:

Looking at 2 Corinthians 4:15,  what is the connection between grace and thanksgiving?  How do grace and thanksgiving result in giving glory to God?

My answers:

This particular section of 2 Corinthians is dealing with trials and suffering.  We know that God gives us grace to deal with and endure adversity -- His grace is sufficient for us!  To me, the connection looks like this: I have difficulties, God gives me grace to endure them, and I give thanks to Him.  Not only that, but others see the grace that God is giving and they also give thanks to Him.  This brings the opportunity for God's name to be lifted up and glorified.  Psalm 50:23 comes to mind: "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me."

P= "Lord, I am so thankful that You have a good purpose in our trials.  Sometimes I just feel stuck, as if my trials are never going to end, but I must never forget that You are in them with me and that the trials will not last a moment longer than necessary.

I am so prone to forgetting that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.  I pray that You will bring this back to my mind when I am weary.  

I praise You that Your grace is sufficient for me in every difficulty I face!  I pray that You will help me to consistently praise You in all circumstances and to bring glory to You as others observe Your working in my life through trials.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Sunday Scripture

 

I mentioned last week that for the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 5 of the study.  We were to read Hebrews 12:22-29, and the verse to SOAP was Hebrews 12:28.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of Hebrews 12:28:

S= "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."  (Hebrews 12:28)

O= Although no one knows for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews (my personal guess is Paul), its intended purpose is to encourage Jewish Christians "who had professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, some of whom were wavering in their attitude. Hence, the exhortation to 'hold fast' (Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 4:14, among others) and 'go on to maturity' (Hebrews 6:1)."

"Hebrews contains a series of contrasts, between the good things of Judaism and the better things of Christ." -- C.I. Scofield

"Those who were occupied with the tangible, visible ritualism of Judaism were clinging to things that could be shaken.  True believers have a kingdom which cannot be shaken."  -- Believer's Bible Commentary

So, as believers who have received this kingdom which cannot be shaken, we have grace.  

By means of this grace, we may serve God acceptably 

* with reverence
* with godly fear.

A= I can be so thankful that I'm a recipient of a kingdom which cannot be moved or shaken.  There is no uncertainty at all about the reality of my God and my faith in Him.  I need not wonder about the validity of His promises for He will never change.  I can rest in Him even "though the earth be removed, and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea" (Psalm 46:2).

Because of this, God also gives grace by which I may serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  Being part of His kingdom should inspire us to fervently praise and adore Him unceasingly.

P= Lord, I am so thankful for all that You are and all that You have done.  I thank and praise You that by Your grace I'm an inhabitant of a kingdom which is certain and can never be moved or shaken.  I never have to be uncertain about my standing with You, because it is not based on my goodness or rule-keeping but on Your grace and Christ's righteousness imputed to me.

I praise You for the opportunity to serve You.  Although I realize I can never repay You for all You've done for me, and although I recognize that my service is flawed and imperfect, still I desire to serve You as a thank-offering for what You've done.  I praise You that by means of Your grace, it's possible for me to serve You acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.

Please forgive me for the times when I mess up, and say or do things that don't reflect the reverence or fear of You that I need to have.  Help me to walk as You'd have me to, every day!  Help me to serve You consistently and with appropriate reverence.  Help me to "give You my best and live for You completely, after all You've done for me!" as the old Sunday School chorus says.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

That's the Scripture study for this November Sunday!  I hope it was a blessing to someone.

Sunday Scripture

 

 For the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 1 of the study.  We were to read 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, and the verses to SOAP were 8-11.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of 1 Chronicles 16:8-11:

S= "Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.

"Sing unto Him, sing psalms uno Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works.  

"Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice who seek the LORD.

"Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually."  (1 Chronicles 16:8-11)

O=  This is a psalm of thanksgiving.  David delivered it into the hand of Asaph and his brethren "to thank, and praise the LORD God of Israel." (verse 7)  The occasion was the placing of the ark of the covenant in the tent David had pitched for it at Jerusalem.  Musicians praised God with the psalteries, harps, cymbals, and trumpets.  The audience would have been "all Israel".

If we were to look at Psalm 105 (and you may want to do just that), we would see that verses 1-15 are almost word for word the same as I Chronicles 16:8-22.

Warren Wiersbe notes in With the Word that "the main thing [in worship] is to focus on the Lord, and David did just that in the special psalm he wrote.  'The LORD' is mentioned fourteen times as David reminds the people of God's works (v. 8-13), God's words (v. 14-22), and God's wonder (v. 23-36) -- His glory, greatness and goodness.  The excitement of the day would disappear, but the inspired song of praise would remain for all generations to use in worshiping God."

Repetitive phrases : "Sing unto Him
                             "Sing psalms unto Him"

"Seek the LORD"
"Seek His strength"
"Seek His face continually"
"Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD"

"Make known His deeds among the people"
"Talk ye of all His wondrous works."

Such clear and simple directions!

Phrases that stood out to me:

"Seek ye the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually".
"Talk ye of all His wondrous works."

A= There is a lot here that I need to apply. 

"Give thanks unto the LORD".  

I do this already, but I need to learn thankfulness in every situation.  It's hard sometimes -- maybe not so much in my own life, but in the lives of others -- to see things to be thankful for.  But there is in fact always something to thank Him for -- our salvation, His presence with us, His sovereignty, just for starters.

I do call upon His name regularly -- not just in time of need, but daily.

I need to be talking of all His wondrous works, especially to those who don't know Him, but also to other believers.  I need to share His wondrous working in my life.

I need to glory in His holy name and to seek to bring Him glory with my own life.  I need to seek Him with a heart of rejoicing.

I do seek the Lord and His strength, and often I need to seek it continually.  There are those times, however, when I don't take time to seek His strength and just give in to the flesh without even seeking His help.  Obviously, that needs to change.

P =   "Lord, I thank You for this study.  After just one day, I can see that it has the potential to be life-changing. 
"I thank You, too, for the reminder that even in the darkest of situations there are numerous things to thank You for. 
"I thank You for the privilege -- yes, even the responsibility -- of calling upon Your name.  Help me to continually remain in the attitude of prayer throughout each day.
"Help me also, Lord, to be talking of all Your wondrous works.  Thank You for the opportunities you've given me this week to encourage others in You and for the ways in which I've been able to speak of Your greatness and goodness -- to talk of all Your wondrous works!  I do indeed glory in Your name, and I desire to glorify You!
"Lord, I pray that You will continue to help me to seek Your face, and to seek Your strength throughout each and every day.  I praise You for how You hear and answer, and the empowering strength that You give. 
"Truly, my heart rejoices in all that You are, in Jesus' name, Amen."

There is our simple Sunday Scripture for this second day in November.  I pray that it will set your hearts toward gratitude as it has mine. 

 

A blessed Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!

 

 

 Just a quick Thanksgiving post before I go prepare some side dishes and make some chocolate whipped cream to top my chocolate peanut butter pie!   Lord willing, we will be joining our daughter's family along with some friends from Vermont, and are so looking forward to the time.  (I say "Lord willing" because it's snowing here, with the potential to impact travel.  We frequently have snow on Thanksgiving, especially when the last Thursday falls late in November as it does this year.  But this prediction seems -- and may be -- a bit much.) 

I pray that each and every one of my readers will have a truly blessed Thanksgiving.  I know that some are grieving today.  Some are facing their first Thanksgiving without a beloved spouse, parent, or sibling.  Some are going through very, very difficult times.  Some are dealing with uncertainties concerning health issues, jobs, or a living situation.  There are personal friends of mine in all of these situations today.  Some of us are just feeling inconvenienced by the weather and hope our plans for a get-together will still work out and we'll get where we're going safely.  And yet, as believers, we still have so very much to thank God for.

Think of it!  We have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!  I believe it was Spurgeon who said that if we cannot think of anything else to thank God for, there is always this: He has saved us from hell.

  One thing I have come to realize is that even in the hardest things of life, I can be thankful that God is with me.  There are many other things to be thankful for as well: He loves me; He wants the best for me; He is good; He has a good purpose for all that He allows; He knows all about every situation; He is in control and sovereign over all things; He is all-powerful and able to change any situation.

We have been blessed in recent weeks to see Him do just that in relation to the leaders of our country, and pray that this change will indeed come to fruition.

On this Thanksgiving Day 2024, Mr. T and I pray that each of you will spend some time counting the blessings God has given you.  There are so many, starting with salvation!

"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."  (Hebrews 13:16)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sunday Scripture

 

Delightful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

I've decided to take a break from the Psalms study to focus on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 4 of the study.  We were to read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18, and the verses to SOAP were 16-18.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

S=  "Rejoice evermore.
"Pray without ceasing.
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

O= This letter was wrtiten by Paul to the believers at Thessalonica.  C.I. Scofield says, "Timothy's good report of the faith and love of the Thessalonians and their tender regard for Paul prompted the apostle to write this touching and intimate letter in which he commends them for their steadfastness, reminds them of truths he has taught, and clears up questions about the Lord's return."

The instructions Paul gives in this last chapter of 1 Thessalonians are brief and to the point.  The verses I am looking at give some pretty all-encompassing direction:

🍂 Rejoice evermore.

🍂 Pray without ceasing.

🍂 In everything give thanks.

I could summarize this as: "Never stop rejoicing; never stop praying; never stop thanking God."

Paul tells us too why we should thank God in every circumstance: this is His will concerning us.

A= The application to my life is pretty obvious.  

🍂 I'm to be continually rejoicing.  This isn't easy.  Life is tiring and some days and circumstances are hard.  Yet I'm commanded to rejoice evermore.

🍂 I'm to be continually in the attitude of prayer.  To me this implies staying "prayed up", keeping short accounts with God, confessing sin as I'm aware of it, so I may remain in constant communication with Him.

🍂 I'm to be thanking God in every circumstance of life, acknowledging that it's His will for me.  He allows these circumstances for my good and His glory.

P= "Lord, these are tall orders you have for me in this passage.  These "100% words" -- evermore; without ceasing; in everything -- are quite a challenge.  I can only rejoice continually and give thanks in everything in Your strength.  I praise You that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. 

"Help me, Lord, to keep short accounts with You so that I may be in constant fellowship with You throughout each day, maintaining an attitude of prayer.  I praise You for the privilege of prayer and for the clarity and practicality of Your Word!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

And there is our very simple study for today!  I know these are a good bit more basic than the Sunday Scriptures I've shared in recent months, but I do hope they'll be a blessing and an encouragement to someone. 

Sunday Scripture

 

For the next couple of Sundays, I've decided to take a break from the Psalms study to focus on Thanksgiving.  I'll be sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 3 of the study.  We were to read Colossians 3:12-17, and the verses to SOAP were 15-17.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of Colossians 3:15-17:

S= "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
"And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."  (Colossians 3:15-17)

🍁

O= Paul wrote this letter (while imprisoned in Rome) to the Christians in the church at Colosse.  It was written "to the saints and faithful brethren' at Colosse, but clearly applies to all Christian believers.  

In these verses I see some repetitions (and it's always good to pay attention to those): "be ye thankful" in verse 15; and "giving thanks to God and the Father" in verse 17.

The commands seem to apply not only to individual believers but to the body of Christ as a whole.  We are to: 

🍁 Let the peace of God rule in our hearts (v.15)
🍁 Realize we are called to this peace as a church as well as individuals (v.15)
🍁 Be thankful (v.15)
🍁 Let God's Word dwell in us richly (v.16)
🍁 Teach and admonish other believers and expect them to do the same for us (v.16)
🍁 Sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord (v.16)
🍁 Whatever we do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father by Him.

A= I need to let God's peace rule in my heart.  (It seems to me that if individual believers have His peace ruling in their hearts, there will more likely be peace in the church.) 

Sometimes it is all too easy to let something else, like worry, fear, anxiety, or some other emotion rule in our hearts.  But we need to let God's peace rule there.  In addition, I am to be thankful.  And I am very thankful for God's peace!

I need to let God's Word dwell in me richly. To me this means not only memorizing God's Word, but allowing it to become an integral part of my life by applying it and making it real in my everyday life.  Letting God's Word settle in and be at home in every facet of my life.

I also should be teaching and admonishing other believers and to be singing with grace in my heart to the Lord.  

It's interesting that I am to let God's peace rule in my heart and I am to let His word dwell in me richly.  These are both things I need to allow.  

And whatever I do, whether it's word (something I say) or deed (something I do), it's to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as a thank-offering to Him.  It's an important question to ask ourselves about a proposed course of action: Can I do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? 

🍁

P= "Lord, I thank You this morning for the clear instruction from Your Word.  I pray that You will help me to daily apply all that I have learned.  

"Help me to allow Your peace to rule in my heart.  Help me to remember that I'm called to this.  I'm not to let anxiety, fear, worry, anger, frustration, or any other emotion rule in my heart -- only Your peace.  This seems like a tall assignment; yet, if I will only allow You to do the work in  my life, it is perfectly possible.

"Help me, too, to allow Your Word to dwell in me richly, to saturate my soul with it, so that when I am squeezed, it's Your Word that drips out.  Help me to daily memorize and meditate on Your Word, and to make it an integral part of my life.

And help me, Lord, to never forget that every bit of life is to be lived for Your glory, as a testimony to others and as a thank-offering to You for all You have done for me.

"I thank and praise You for how You will work, and for how you are working, in these areas!  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's our very, very simple study for today.  I hope that someone has found it a blessing.

A blessed Thanksgiving to you!

 

A favorite Thanksgiving graphic from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 Just a quick Thanksgiving post before I go whip some cream and prepare some side dishes!  We will be joining our daughter's family along with some friends from church, and are so looking forward to the time.

I pray that each and every one of my readers will have a truly blessed Thanksgiving.  I know that some are grieving today.  Some are facing their first Thanksgiving without a beloved spouse, parent, or sibling.  Some are going through some very, very difficult times.  Some are dealing with uncertainties concerning health issues or a living situation.  There are personal friends of mine in all of these situations today.  And yet, as believers, we still have so very much to thank God for.

Think of it!  We have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

  One thing I have come to realize is that even in the hardest things of life, I can be thankful that God is with me.  There are many other things to be thankful for as well: He loves me; He wants the best for me; He is good; He has a good purpose for all that He allows; He knows all about every situation; He is in control and sovereign over all things; He is all-powerful and able to change any situation.

And so today, Mr. T and I pray that each of you will spend some time counting the blessings God has given you.  There are so many, starting with salvation.  My daughter was remembering the other day how years ago, whenever a certain man in our church prayed publicly, he began by thanking God for his salvation.  I have no doubt that he began each of his private prayers the same way!

The hymn "Thanks to God" is one of my very favorites at Thanksgiving time and always.  Here are the words:

 Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

 Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

 Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." 

(Psalm 100:4)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cruising into Thanksgiving with the Hodgepodge

 

 It's Wednesday again, so time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's Hodgepodge questions involve Thanksgiving, Christmas plans and much more.   Here goes!

1. Have you ever been on a cruise? If so where did you go and how did you like it? If not, do you have any desire to take a cruise someday? 

Nope, no desire for a cruise.  If I was ever to take one,  I would want it to be either a cruise down the Mississippi or possibly an Alaskan cruise.

A lake cruise is a lot more my speed and I've been on a number of those on large lakes.  Below are a couple of scenes from the M/S Mount Washington on Lake Winnipesaukee. 

 

2. Tell us about your Thanksgiving plans...are you hosting? cooking? eating out? turkey or some other main? is it stuffing or dressing in your house? homemade cranberries or cranberries in a can? are pies on the dessert menu? what kind? what are your 'must have' sides? Tell us one thing you're especially grateful for this year.

Not hosting, but I am helping with food.  Turkey, cooked by my daughter using Deanna's method, will be the main event.  It's stuffing in our family, but not everyone likes it so I'm making stuffing separately and bringing it in a crockpot.  Homemade cranberry sauce is my preference, but the grandkids all like the canned jellied kind.  Only thing is, it must be the Woodstock organic kind as one of my grands cannot tolerate high fructose corn syrup.  Woodstock is the only brand I've seen without it.  Pies are definitely on the dessert menu -- an apple cranberry, two pumpkin, and a pecan so far.  Must-have sides include Carrie's make-ahead mashed potatoes and honey rolls, and broccoli casserole from my sister-in-law Dawn's recipe.

One thing I'm especially grateful for this year is the opportunity to know God through His Word.  Knowing Him and learning about His character makes it more possible to see His sovereignty over all things and to rest securely in His care regardless of all that is going on in our world.  It helps us too to understand that He has the power and wisdom to do what's best and to change things as He chooses.

Above is my Caramel Pecan Pie:

CARAMEL PECAN PIE

36 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pecan halves
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Combine the caramels, butter and milk in a heavy saucepan; heat until the mixture is creamy and caramels are melted, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer; gradually blend in the caramel mixture. Fold in the pecans and pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake at 350º for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool pie until firm before cutting or serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

And I'll add my pumpkin pie recipe too:

EASY PUMPKIN PIE

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425º. Combine all ingredients except pie crust in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until well combined. Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º. Bake pie for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool pie before cutting or serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
 

On a more temporal note, I'm super thankful to have sold the last piece of property for my dad's trust.

3. If someone approaches you and asks for money do you give it to them? Do you drop money 'in a tin cup' that belongs to a person on the street? Do you have a specific charity you support during the holiday season and/or year round?

No to all.   I will put money in a Salvation Army kettle if I encounter a bell ringer at Christmas time.  

And of course we give to our local church all year round.  We also have some missionary friends we have personally helped to support for years.

4. Have you started decorating for Christmas? Is your tree up? Shopping done? Wrapped? 

No to all.  I have started my shopping and making, but nothing is wrapped.  My tree is not up and my decorating not started.  My hubby has, however, started baking Christmas cookies and has gone through two batches of fudge already giving it out for various occasions.

 He has baked a batch of Whipped Shortbread (above);

 a double batch of Secret Spice Cookies (above);

and two batches of Heavenly Delight fudge (below).

He's also baked a double batch of Chocolate Mint Crisps.  And he's talking about baking more cookies today.

5. Create your own acrostic using the word THANKS. 

Trustworthy God

Home (heavenly as well as earthly)

Abundant blessings

Nearby family and friends

Knowing God through His word

Salvation in Christ

(I borrowed part of this from last year's "Thankful" acrostic.)

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

So looking forward to Thanksgiving!  My favorite holiday, though I love Christmas dearly as well.  If you've never read my Thanksgiving memories, you might enjoy them here.

There's the Hodgepodge for today.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Sunday Scripture

As promised, I'm back with a Sunday Scripture post focusing on thanksgiving.  I mentioned Wednesday that that post, and this one, are from a Thanksgiving/fall study from Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references.

 The verses I chose for today are from Day 6 of the study.  We were to read 1 Chronicles 29:1-20, and the verses to SOAP were 11-13.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my simple study of 1 Chronicles 29:11-13:

S= "Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory; and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and earth is Thine.  Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all.
"Both riches and honor come of Thee; and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
"Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name." (1Chronicles 29:11-13)

O= These verses are part of David's prayer of thanksgiving on the occasion of the people willingly giving gold, silver, precious stones, and more to be used in Solomon's Temple.

One repetition that stands out to me is David's references to God as King:
"Thine is the kingdom, O LORD";
"Thine, O LORD, is the majesty";
"Thou art exalted as head above all";
"Thou reignest over all".

"Power" is another repeated word:
"Thine, O LORD, is the power";
"In Thine hand is power and might".

"Glory" is another repeated theme:
"Thine, O LORD, is the glory";
"We praise Thy glorious name".

Verse 11 begins with one-word descriptions of some of God's characteristics:
*  Greatness
*  Power
*  Glory
*  Victory
*  Majesty

Verses 11-12 continue on with some complete statements about who God is:
*  All that is in heaven and earth is His.
*  His is the kingdom.
*  He is exalted as Head above all.
*  Both riches and honor come from Him.
*  He reigns over all.
*  In His hand are power and might.
*  In His hand it is to make great.
*  His hand gives strength unto all.

Verse 13 notes that therefore -- because of all that is true about God as stated in 11-12 -- we thank Him, and praise His glorious name.  

A=  Because God is Head above all, I must always acknowledge Him as King and as sovereign over my life. 
I must never forget that everything I have is a gift from His hand.
I must always look to Him for strength, as He is the only true source of strength.

God is always deserving of my thanks and praise for all that He has done and for everything that He is!

P= "Lord,  I praise You for all that You are!  Yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty!  All that is in heaven and on earth belongs to You!  Yours is the kingdom, and You are rightly exalted as Head above all things!
"All that I have -- all that anyone has -- is from Your hand.  You are the Source of every good thing and of any strength that we have.
"Therefore, I thank and praise You, not only for all that You are, but for all that You have done and for all that You continue to do.  You are most worthy of praise!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

I hope that this fresh look at 1 Chronicles 29 was a blessing to you in this Thanksgiving season!  It certainly was to me -- and what a great reminder in these uncertain times that this Almighty God has all things under His sovereign control.

Thanksgiving Eve Scriptures ...

 Here's what I hope will be a special treat for some of my readers who have been enjoying the Sunday Scripture posts and hated to see them end.  I've put some thought and prayer into this and decided that my last Sunday post for November will be based on a passage I worked through during a Thanksgiving study in 2013.  Then, in thinking a bit more, I decided to choose a second passage from the study and use it for a special Thanksgiving Eve post.

This Thanksgiving study is an older, two-week one from Good Morning Girls.  I did a little research but, sadly, it seems to be no longer available.  I keep getting a "Page Not Found" message.  I'm so thankful that I was able to find the notebook in which I recorded my study, so I can share it with you all.

Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do, and I was very encouraged by this special Thanksgiving study.  Even though I can't give you the link, I hope that you will be blessed by what is shared here.  Maybe you would even like to start with the same Scripture, or even choose another passage on thanksgiving or thankfulness and SOAP it for yourself.

 I enjoy this SOAP method of Bible study, and the GMG studies use a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

Today's study is from Psalm 100,  verses 4 and 5.  We were to read the whole psalm (easy enough since it's just 5 verses) but to focus on the last two verses.

S=  "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."  (Psalm 100:4-5)

O= The psalm is titled "A psalm of praise."  The author is not named.  The psalm appears to be addressed to "all ye lands" (verse 1), but in reading on, it seems more as if it is addressing God's people (verse 3 -- "we are His people").  

I notice that verse 4 contains four commands:
* Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
* Enter His courts with praise
* Be thankful to Him
* Bless His name.

Then verse 5 alludes to three or perhaps four attributes of God:
* The LORD is good
* His mercy is everlasting
* His truth endures to all generations
(In the last one I see both His truth and His covenant-keeping faithfulness to His people.)

A=  I need to offer thanksgiving to God.  I am to praise Him, to be thankful to Him, and to speak well of His matchless name.

God is worthy of my praise for many reasons, but here I specifically see that I need to praise and thank Him because He is good, because His mercy is everlasting, because His truth is enduring and because His faithfulness is great.

P=  "Lord, my heart is overflowing with thanksgiving as I praise You for all that You are, and as I thank You for all that you have done in my life.
"Lord, You are good -- all the time -- and I praise You for Your goodness.  Your mercy is everlasting, and You have been abundantly merciful to me and to all of Your people.  Your truth is enduring and will never, ever change.
"Help me, Lord, to continue to encourage my friends to get to know You better.  And help my life to speak well of You and to live out thanksgiving daily, so that my friends who don't yet know You will see an accurate picture of You at work in my life. 
"Truly, You are worthy to be praised!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

There's our simple Thanksgiving study for today ... Look for another on Sunday.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

An encouraging pre-Thanksgiving read

 

 Just sneaking in on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to encourage my readers to celebrate the upcoming holiday with joy and gratitude.  It is so easy, in light of all of the difficulties folks are dealing with these days, to want to bypass this wonderful family holiday.  Last evening I read an article so encouraging that I wanted to share it with all of you.  Here is the link: Let's Make It Happen: Saving Thanksgiving from the Grinch.  The author is Jeff Minick.  

Whenever I'm browsing through the latest Epoch Times newspaper, I'm nearly always drawn to articles by Jeff Minick.  I so enjoy his writing.  He often expresses just what I would like to say if I were more eloquent. (If you wish to read more of his writing, you can check out his blog, Learning As I Go.  You can also look up his articles in The Epoch Times archives here.  I don't have time to read as many blogs as I would like, so I usually just read his newspaper articles.)

I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did, and that you will make plans for a grateful celebration in some fashion or other.  Ours will include food, family, friends, music, games, and no doubt lots of laughter -- and for that (among many, many other things) I am very thankful.  Let's be sure we are not letting the Grinch steal Thanksgiving, but that we are celebrating with gratefulness and joy!

No place like harvest home

 

 Just a little post today to link up with Sandi's No Place Like Home party.  It's been a busy week and weekend, but I wanted to share a little something anyway.  I thought I would share some of the pretty autumn and Thanksgiving decor from around our home, since I haven't really posted about that this fall.

I've noticed around the the net (Instagram in particular, but some blogs too) that people are decorating for Christmas already.  In fact, I visited a friend yesterday who has all of her Christmas decorations up.  She has a small place so has not overdone the decorating, and it does look lovely, but that is just not me.  I begin decorating for fall in September, then in November I add a few more Thanksgiving type things.  I tend to do more Thanksgiving decorating if we are having folks in for dinner on that day.  This year we are going to our daughter's, so I have not done as much Thanksgiving decor as I otherwise might.

Does it seem to you, as it does to me, that Thanksgiving as a holiday tends to get overlooked?  That's really a shame, because it is one of my favorite holidays and I feel that it's one of our most meaningful holidays as Americans.  (Although this year is different -- Thanksgiving is being somewhat overshadowed by election drama, yet it's also in the forefront of our thinking since our officials keep telling us all to stay home.) Really, though, we have much to praise and thank God for even in the midst of all the craziness, and those fundamental blessings do not change regardless of our circumstances.  

 One of the very biggest blessings that my hubby and I remind one another of every day is the sovereignty of God.  Nothing about our current situation is a surprise to Him, and He is in full control of every aspect of it.  I sincerely hope that we all are praising and thanking God each day for the liberties we have enjoyed in our country up to now, and that we are faithfully praying for our nation.

Thankful .. that says it all!

Some vintage autumn goodness. 

Clay wall pocket on our porch

Pumpkin candle and holder -- a sweet gift from my sister-in-law

Vintage toy truck and jadeite mug from my childhood home!

 Sweet Thanksgiving card from our faraway daughter.

And there is my simple No Place Like Home for this week. Let's cultivate the Gratitude Attitude!

A blessed Thanksgiving to you!

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving graphics by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Just a quick Thanksgiving post before I go whip some cream and prepare some side dishes!

I pray that each and every one of my readers will have a truly blessed Thanksgiving.  I know that some are grieving today.  Some are going through some very, very difficult times.  There are personal friends of mine in both of these situations today.  And yet, as believers, we still have so very much to thank God for.

Think of it!  We have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

  One thing I have come to realize is that even in the hardest things of life, I can be thankful that God is with me.  There are many other things to be thankful for as well: He loves me; He wants the best for me; He is good; He has a good purpose for all that He allows; He knows all about every situation; He is in control and sovereign over all things; He is all-powerful and able to change any situation.

And so today, Mr. T and I pray that each of you will spend some time counting the blessings God has given you.  There are so many, starting with salvation.

The hymn "Thanks to God" is one of my very favorites at Thanksgiving time and always.  Here are the words:

 Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

 Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

 Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." 

(Psalm 100:4)

Happy Thanksgiving!