THANKFUL THURSDAY!

 calm YOUR ANXIETY!

 How does one do that!

 Give all your worries and cares to God....for He cares about you.  (1Peter 5:7, NLT) 

 How many ways can one say it??

Robert Morgan shares in calm YOUR ANXIETY, God's Word offers a "divine inoculation against the paralyzing disease of worry." (Day 29, P.58)

Eugene Peterson's biblical  paraphrase, The Message, says, "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worry, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns."

Ending today with a cuppa gra-TEA-tude and evening prayers of thanksgiving. 

After all.....it's "Thankful Thursday."

CHOOSE: ONE DAY AT A TIME

A daily choice. One day at a time.
Let go of the if only's and the what if's and celebrate the day, one moment at a time. We hear it at every turn. That idea seems to be pasted all over self-help book sections and gift shops display plaques, wood blocks and even tea towels with the message.

Yet, it is not some sweet sentimental thought, it's scriptural.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:34, MSG)

Some churches choose to post it on their message boards.

So....if God's word chooses it and the people of God choose it, it must be a good daily choice to make.

Version Preferences

When studying God's Word, I have a variety of Bibles handy. (KJV) King James Version used for recall of childhood memory verses. (NASB) New American Standard Bible used most for individual study. (NIV) New International Version for BSF---Bible Study Fellowship lessons. (ESV) English Standard Version to follow along at church. For easy reading, I sometimes choose (CEV) Contemporary English Version, (NCV) New Century Version or the (NLT) New Living Translation, especially for facilitating understanding in difficult passages or long chapters. 

The same truth or primary meaning, just differing in certain wording or connotations---sometimes invokes ideas or feelings specific to situations, which I might be experiencing at the time ---is helpful to me.

A different "legitimate" version can offer a new or fresh perspective especially when I am preparing to teach a passage or topical lesson.

Studying for an upcoming "rest" lesson, words like refuge and retreat seem to jump off the pages from the (MSG) Message. When accompanied by "renewal," an aspect of that rest, all the better.