LOVING LIFE

Driving through life with a song in my heart, a skip in my step, a reason to smile wide and a good word for those who cross my path. "Yet I will show you a more excellent way" A wise daily practice is to praise God for at least 5 things each morning. Thank you Lord for color, adventure, a variety of people, freedom, and opportunity! Keeping the Word of God my preferred Source of GOOD news, I indeed profit by remaining "in Him" as He is in me. Listening to what the spirit maybe hearing....I listen and hear giggles of the horse riding nino's, and the hum of a sweet innocent girl seeking to sell some green beans today.  When I choose to look and notice God in action, I will catch the flash of "hope in God" gleaming through the eyes of those He sends across my path. Thanksgiving is not unnoticed by God. Awakening to the ceaseless love of our Father is found in all things.

A grateful heart explodes through the lips of a person compelled from within...to speak words of appreciation. Gratitude is the highest form of thought and happiness is indeed doubled by our fascinations.  Our world needs less complaining and more proclaiming of all that is glorious! God reveals His invisible thunder, His eternal power in countless ways so that we are left naked without excuse. "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor did they give thanks to Him...so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:18-28  Oh Lord, let not the

root sin of ingratitude be found in me. What is the worst sin of all? God's word seems to point to our thanklessness!  Consider Eve in the garden of Eden, she had it all, yet she resented God warning her about a particular tree, and one bite of an apple. "For although she knew God, she neither glorified Him as God, nor gave Him thanks.  Her thinking became futile, and her foolish heart was darkened. A heart full of ingatitude is wicked. A simple refusal to thank and glorify God is the real beginning of wickedness.  Many believe that wickedness is found in the

ghetto, in a drug deal, in a prostitute's heart, however, Roman's 1 gives us insight into why God gave them over to a depraved mind. "Their" thanklessness was His reason to send them into madness! Great artists and deep thinkers are riveted to the many wonders and mysteries of God and they glorify Him in their work. Abba Father, awaken the spirit of thanksgiving in me.  Give me eyes to see what You see, engage me in the highest of thinking. Forgive me for forgetting to take time to give thanks in all things. Change my heart so that I may

think of whatever is noble, or praise worthy in all place You lead me today this day. Thank You Lord for making Your will known so clearly. The living Word of God splits my heart wide open with the plain truth. Paul writes in Romans 1 "First I thank my God..." I praise You for the smallest hummingbird, the tallest tree, the purple blooms, the dark clouds, the rain, my good days and even what pain may come.  "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth (in me) as it is in heaven"  AMEN -  then God said "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, (challenges we all face) 'GO, throw yourself in the sea,' and does NOT doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done unto him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." IF the least bit of ingratitude, bitterness, jealousy, resentment,
ill will, or animosity toward anyone TRIES to creep in and take root --- convict me so that I may choose to speak "PRAISE be to GOD" and trust that God will be glorified. To all perceived resistance, or danger I shout with immense authority "GO in the name of Jesus!"  I cast OUT the destroying power of evil, with the very holy power that God infused me with. As careful as I am to NOT drink poison or handle a rattlesnake, I am also quick to avoid harboring ingratitude, envy, jealousy, or any wrong feelings towards others.  "FINALLY, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do NOT repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with BLESSING, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing!" "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."