Psalm Variety

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 289: Today... I am grateful for the variety in the Psalms.  

Our pastor is teaching a series in "the Psalms". What's not to love about the Psalms? Well... I was reminded yesterday that a good portion of the Psalms comes from a place of struggle, depression and brokenness.  It is in segments and most often squeezed between more uplifting songs. 

A psalm is... a song, but we have lost the melodies. Perhaps we were meant to apply our own music so that it is meaningful in this time and at this moment.  

Song lyrics strengthen our spirits for the day's work ahead or they give a start to the tears that need to fall. Where did we every get the idea that weeping is for the weak? God gives us tears so we can release grief. I don't necessarily enjoy a good cry, but I always feel better when the weeping is over. 

I was reminded of a story I love to hear re-told. Most of us can feel the power of the old hymn "It Is Well" by Horatio Spafford. There is a reason it moves us. It was written from a broken yet faithful heart. 

Horatio and his wife Anne... over the short span of a decade experienced great loss. They lost their home in the great Chicago fire... their only son to scarlet fever at age four...and on the return from a European vacation, Anna and all four remaining children were in a shipwreck. All four daughters...were lost at sea in the wreckage. Anna awoke from the disaster, alive but alone. Their ages were eleven, nine, five and two. Horatio received word of the disaster and the loss when Anna got a message to him saying she alone had survived from their family. 

Surely, his heart asked, "Why?". Why did business delay him from returning with them? If he had only been there could he have saved them? The truth is that God's picture made no sense at all, but the Spaffords remained faithful. Upon his return trip from Europe, at the place the boat sank...he penned the words:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

How?  It was not Horatio's first great loss.  He had walked through trials before.  He knew the saving grace of the Lord was true. The strength found at the end of ours... the place were we fall completely exhausted and broken...into His arms. Like a child, clinging to a father or a mother, we can find rest. 

It begins with a song. It can be a sad song. Then, that song begins to change. 

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. -Psalm 25:14-15

Sing of the friendship and the promise. Look to His face. He is the solid rock, the strong tower and our deliverer. A new song is born. 

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. -Psalm 40:1-3a

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Today... I am grateful for the variety in the Psalms.

Anger Management- Scientific benefits

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 288: Today... I am grateful anger management has scientifically proven benefits. 

I love it when science comes to conclusions that believers have surmised by studying the scriptures, prayer and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit's lead. Here is the paraphrase of the science, in common language:

"Neurologist's claim that every time you resist acting on you anger, you're actually rewiring your brain to be calmer and more loving." 

Yes... I looked it up. Wow!  R.J. Blair is the article author.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3260787/

Christianity and science can live together in peace. In fact... in time all mysteries will be revealed. In this moment, those passionate about science can find work, joy and support their families through the many avenues science provides. 

Anger is a natural human response. It can trigger instinctive behavior to protect and defend. It typically results from a threat, a perceived threat or not getting a "reward" we feel we deserve or have earned. Simple as that.  Here is an interesting note in the article's abstract:

"Individuals with enhanced abilities to inflict costs (e.g., stronger individuals) or to confer benefits (e.g., attractive individuals) have a better bargaining position in conflicts” and thus will be “more prone to anger, prevail more in conflicts of interest, and consider themselves entitled to better treatment.”- RJ Blair 

Think about it.  Those who can bully because they have strength or power often do. Those who are more attractive (by the world's current standards) consider themselves entitled to better treatment. Turn on your television for evidence of this fact.  These same people... the strong and the beautiful... have more trouble managing anger because frankly... they are accustomed to having their way. What a timely revelation!

Earworm is singing - "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife. It you want to be happy your whole life through, get an ugly girl to marry you." Yes, that really is a song.  A very old song. (Sometimes, I have no control over him.)  

Good news! Pretty girls can be a good marriage investment, too, but they must understand that beauty of any kind is a gift.  They must choose kindness, even when the world is happy to give them privileged places. Proverbs 31 gives great instruction for developing real beauty and worth. 

This is what the Bible says about anger:

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,  -Ephesians 4:26 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. -Psalm 19:14

Self control is a refection of who or what we serve. Exercising control over anger takes some practice. It is freeing. We don't have to react. We can learn to breath and be calm. Science backs it.  God instructed us to choose wisely our response to anger. It is all a part of his: "Love Me. Love each other" plan. 

Today... I am grateful anger management has scientifically proven benefits. 

Wisdom: Young & Old

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 287: Today... I am grateful for the the wisdom found in the young and the elderly.

There is something special about interactions between children and the elderly. Both typically exhibit great honesty... sometimes brutal. They often gravitate toward each other, embrace their differences, share ideas and make the best of friends. It is precious and priceless.

What is the common denominator? They both tend to keep it simple. How often do I over complicate things? I don't mean to, but I can fret my way into overthinking, over planning and worry.

I can learn from their perspectives... from their priorities. Both tend to live fully in the moment.

Today... I am grateful for the the wisdom found in the young and the elderly

Net Worth

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 286: Today... I am so grateful we are priceless in God's eyes. 

Today, all over the country, a movie is opening. "Priceless". It is based on the song I wrote about earlier this week by "For King & Country". 

For me... I saw the beauty of the analogy between a human love story and the way Christ loves and sacrificed for the church. Oh so priceless. 

Like a diamond with many facets, this song may speak in many different ways. Just a God's word speaks, music inspired by the word of God can hit us at completely different places, based on what we need from conviction (oh, yes, a song can convict our hearts and inspire change) to hope and inspiration to press on. 

The movie's story line includes the horrible reality of human trafficking. That gives a completely different soul to the lyrics. Human's selling humans. It has happened for thousands of years. It always leaves people feeling broken and worthless. 

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. - Isaiah 61:10

"For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness". I see you dressed in white... every wrong made right... oh so priceless. 

This world diminishes the worth of our souls.  Jesus died that we might return to relationship with him. Are we that valuable? The answer is... to Him we are. Valuable enough to leave heaven, be born in human skin, to work with us and beside us and eat our food. He loved his family and his friends. He was willing to take on the cross to gain victory over sin and death. Justice and mercy collided on that day at Calvary. Three days later... the grave lost it's power. Crazy love. 

His love is not limited to the smart, beautiful, politically connected or skinny. His love reaches out and touches all who reach back to receive. 

Revelation 19 gives us a glimpse of heaven.  It is prophecy...a future snapshot. 

“Hallelujah!For the Lord our God    the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. -Revelation 19:6-8

Net worth. How is it determined? By the value places upon it. Gold, diamonds and silver only become valuable when someone wants them and give them worth. God created man and woman in His image. He breathed our soul breaths into us. He gives us our worth. He is the one. 

Our worth was determined from the time our tiny hearts began to beat. Knit in our mother's womb with a purpose in His plan. Amazing love. How can it be? It simply is because the Great I Am is who he claims to be. 

Today... I am so grateful we are priceless in God's eyes. 

Gratitude...the Spirit... & Clearer Vision

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 285: Today, I am grateful that gratitude clears our vision and opens our hearts to the Holy Spirits comfort and guidance.  

This has been my Daily Gratitude-Year 4 lesson. "Vision clears in a grateful heart". Simple as that. 

We are never gong to completely understand the struggles of this world. The front window view can be blurred by rain, debris, ice or darkness. Hindsight might be 20/20 but not always. There are certain trials and griefs we may never understand... as my sweet friend Barb once said... this side of heaven. 

Still, there is  profound thing that happens through the act of intentional gratitude. Our vision clears. We start to see God's face in even the toughest stuff.  We see his "winks" and we hear his voice. We feel his presence. His Holy Spirit fills, surrounds and rocks us like a mother rocks a baby.


You know, I have never thought about that image, but I think it is true. The Holy Spirit is referred to as "The Comforter". Think warm quilt... rocking in Mama's arms... or a fierce protector. In times of trouble, never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit unleashed in any situation. Never doubt his presence. Jesus asked and we received. 

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever," John 14:16

His gift. Our defender and counselor. 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."-John 14:26 

His voice whispers the just the right scripture for the moment. 

"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. -John 16:7 

The omnipresent Holy Spirit of the Living God that was not part human. That was not what the disciples wanted to hear. They didn't want things to change. They wanted Jesus present in human form for a happily-ever-after. But, that was not where the story would end. 

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; -John 16:8

The Holy Spirit comes in strength... and power... and with conviction. I don't always enjoy that conviction part, but I need it. Sometimes, responding to his convictions on our hearts is exactly what clears our vision. Gratitude is a component in unleashing the power of Christ in our lives through his spirit. 

Gratitude and the Holy Spirit combined are a little like the windshield and wipers on our cars. 

The shield protects us from the elements. Together, they persistently sweep at the struggles to clear our vision. The rain or snow continue but we can press on through the storm. We can see more clearly because of their presence. 

He doesn't always stop the rain, put he protects us. His Spirit will keep us safe and make it more manageable. Gratitude... can be a constant presence clearing our vision. Gratitude can be practiced until it is rhythmic like the swish, swish, swish of the wiper. 

In fact, sometimes the rain stops and it takes a minute before we turn off the wipers. We grow comfortable with the movement. So comfortable, we don't notice the rain has stopped. When we sing His praise through the storms of life... the storm ends and we don't even notice, because we are in gratitude mode.  

Gratitude... like that automatic wiper. Constant. Vision clearing. Comforting. 

Today, I am grateful that gratitude clears our vision and opens our hearts to the Holy Spirits comfort and guidance.  

Deep Roots

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 284: Today, I am grateful for deep roots.

"When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind."

Roots. We all have them. Alex Haley's book by the same name was published in 1976. He traced part of his families history back 200 years. He discovered that his grandfather, with many "greats" in front of it, arrived in America on a slave ship on September 29,1767. 

Alex Haley stated that September 29, 1967, when he stood at the site in Annapolis, Maryland, where his ancestor had arrived from Africa in chains exactly 200 years before was one of the most emotional moments of his life. He book fueled genealogy interest here in the United States and it continues today. For me... Ellis Island is that place for the part of my ancestry I know. 

Haley's roots were not just in Africa. His research found  Cherokee, Scottish, Mandinka and Scots-Irish heritage in his veins. A seventh generation descendant of Kunta Kinte, but that was just one root of his family tree. A strong one, but only one. Slavery of any kind leaves scars. Alex Haley seemed to use his writing to draw on the strength of the human spirit through all kinds of grief, loss, sadness, beatings and brutality. It was a powerful book and it was made into a mini-series most of us remember watching. 

In the middle of our Bi-Centennial American celebration, we were reminded of some of the shadows that still hanging over our country. Alex Haley, like every other American that isn't Native American, can reach back in time and uncover the names and the stories of the path that brought our ancestors to North American shores.  Some came for adventure. Other, to avoid starvation. Some carried small bags and big dreams, but little else. Most had some kind of scars. Maybe not obvious scars, like Kunta Kinte's, but certainly it was not all peaches and cream and the American dream. 

Roots give us comfort. Knowing who we are and where we came from. Many cultures record and protect family tree lines. We are slow to that idea as we focus on being "self-made" here. We forget that the strength, wisdom, work ethic and survival skills of those before us are a part of who we are. We are not the color of our skin. We are, thank God, not our political leadership. We are the people. Brothers and sisters of our states, our counties, our cities and villages...and in our places of worship. We  are all uniquely connected. The desire was to form "a more perfect union" through "justice" and "liberty". 

100 years after Kunte Kinta arrived on a slave ship, the Civil War nearly destroyed this nation. 100 years after the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement brought about some more change. Today...50 years later...it feels as if we have taken several step backwards. Perhaps it is because of the media and social media shining the worst of us in our faces and not the best of us. I love what Alex Haley's father taught him.

Get educated. (His dad was a professor)
Develop discipline. (Study and search for answers)
Serve your country. (He enlisted in the Coast Guard)
Lift up people. 
Celebrate survivors.
Develop roots.
Learn from the past but don't let it destroy you. 
A man's worth has nothing to do with the color of his skin, and everything to do with the darkness or the light in his heart. 

Colossians 2:6-8 speaks of the importance of roots in faith, too. 

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

A deep rooted tree need not fear the wind! 

Today, I am grateful for deep roots.

God's Okay for One More Day

Daily Gratitude Year 4-Day 283: Today, I am grateful morning is God's okay for one more day. 

"Morning is God's way of saying one more time, go make a difference, touch a heart, encourage a mind, inspire a soul and enjoy the day." -Unknown

That hit me out of nowhere at just the right place. 

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." -Psalm 139:17-19


"When I awake... I am still with you." How I love that line And, He is with us. 

Earworm is singing my favorite line from Amy Grant's "Say Once More" from the Never Alone album...not the later one. It was never a hit but one of my favorites. It has a reggae, A Capella groove that makes me smile. 

"I am Yours, and You are mine


Won't you say once more
I love You in the Bread and in the Wine
Till the whole world knows our love song
I am Yours, and You are mine

On the street, it's hard to find
In the city, peace of mind
Ain't knockin' on nobody's door
And even the countryside can't hide it anymore

People movin' in every direction
Can't take a moment to be kind
The lack of understanding
The pace is too demanding
You could easily lose your mind"

I am a morning person. Can't help it. I know... annoying to some and I really have worked at toning it down a little. I found a convicting scripture that pointed out how irritating it is to people who are not full throttle when they wake up. 

"Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing." Proverbs 27:14

By God's grace and nearly 30 years in the making... The Love of My Life has evolved into a morning person, too. In fact... it might be me who is less ready to chat until I have had my first dose of java and Jesus. Our morning moments are some of my favorite of the day... while we are for the moment... fresh and untainted by the days... known and unknown... challenges ahead. 

Morning means...we are gifted with another day. No one is promised tomorrow... so it is always a gift  to be unwrapped 365 days a year.  We are on 283 of 2016. 

He has given us this day... and our daily bread. Manna for today. Be grateful.
He has forgiven us our sins... so we can forgive others. Be forgiving.
He does not lead us into temptation... but, oh... I can find it myself. Follow His lead.
He delivers us from the evil in our midst... one way or the other...He delivers!
He is King... no matter who wins a political race.
He power sustains... today, tomorrow and into eternity.
Forever is ahead... but today is a one-time-only, precious gift. 

What shall we do with this precious gift of today?

Earworm would like to share this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK8Dndr-x_Y  

Today, I am grateful morning is God's okay for one more day.