PEACE REQUIRES ABSENCE OF FEAR!

Spiritual Peace (peace with God)

Relational Peace (peace with others)

Emotional Peace (peace within ourselves)

Allow the cross of Christ to be present in your life in order................

....................to let the peace of God rule in your heart!

Vanquish all fear!

Be thankful, keep your eyes on the cross and let peace replace fears!

THANKFUL THURSDAY RECAP FROM DownEast MAINE

The earth is the LORD'S and the fulness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1)

Great FULNESS of God's creation caught in a small cell phone, which did not do it justice but does evoke great mind pictures of the experience.  How easy it is to give thanks for such days---even in fog and mist, (1 Thessalonians 5:18) I learned that even the acceptance of weather can be an attitude of the heart.

I stood amazed in the surrounds of DownEast as the residents "dub" this eastern coastal section of Maine.....from early morning to setting sun. From the granite pink rock...

...and the balance rock along Bar Harbor Shore Path as we began our "misty, cool"day with a stroll.

...to the boat ride past Bear Island and the Bear Island lighthouse, located in the community of Cranberry Isles on our way to Isleford in Little Cranberry....

with an abundance of foliage both natural....

 ....and cultivated...

...to the home of one of the kindest men the Lord has ever created "to dwell therein" His world---Ashley Bryan ...

...who captures creation in his own style to share with others. Regardless of the style, (oils, puppets, collage, stained glass) Ashley does it all---while giving thanks to the Father! (Colossians 3:17)

CHOOSE: GRATITUDE

Daddy used to begin his day, "thanking the good Lord for everyday He gave Him."

That's not a bad idea as everyday is a gift from Him. 

I sip from my cuppa "graTEAtude" as a reminder.

Today is indeed God's gift.

Choose "Gratitude" as an expression of that and live it out for the rest of the day!

Gra-TEA-tude---how BIG is your cuppa?

 Give thanks to Lord Jehovah, because he is good, and his grace is for eternity. (Psalms 107:1, Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

I don't think any devotional book speaks more to my heart about trust and thankfulness than Sarah Young's, Jesus Calling.

It is a rare person who, when his cup frequently runs over, can thank God instead of complaining about the limited size of his mug! —Bob Russell, retired pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.

I am grateful to brother Buddy and Charlotte for introducing me to Bob Cherry, who inspires me to add lots of sweet gra-TEA-tude to my BIGGEST cuppa.

A BIG cuppa Gra-TEA-tude

 In everything give thanks, (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB)

A great verse reminder to give thanks throughout the year---not just on Thanksgiving Day!

Dickens says we Americans have it backwards---we should spend 364 days a year being thankful and set aside one day only for griping and complaining.

Amen! to Mr. Dickens and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Gra-TEA-tude---How full is your cuppa?

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34, ESV)

Didn't we learn in kindergarten to say "thank you?" I didn't go to kindergarten but I learned it from my mother and grandmothers and I taught it to 5 year olds and pre-schoolers for 20+ years.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11-12, NIV)

"Happy people are not always thankful but thankful people are almost always happy." Howard Clark said this and WSJ research seems to back it up.
Wall Street Journal says"Giving thanks is good for your health."

Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They’re also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy, or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly, and have greater resistance to viral infections. 

Now, researchers are finding that gratitude brings similar benefits in children and adolescents. [Studies also show that] kids who feel and act grateful tend to be less materialistic, get better grades, set higher goals, complain of fewer headaches and stomach aches, and feel more satisfied with their friends, families, and schools than those who don’t. (WSJ 11-23-10)

Thanksgiving Day comes tomorrow...but  according to Edward Stanford Martin

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."

I plan on sipping frequently from my FULL cuppa gra-TEA-tue. How about you?

Bestower of Blessings

11/23 What a week this should be for focusing on blessings---both the ones received and the One who bestows them. I can think of no better meditation for this period of Thanksgiving than the 100th Psalm.

Psalm 100 (KJV)

1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
3Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
5For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

As my family gathers here this week to cook and care for me in a special way, I want to have time with them. (So I won’t be on-line for awhile.) Together I hope we will focus on our year (& my MAC year) that has been one BIG blessing. Thanks be to God.