Greetings to all! I have wanted to blog lately about being thankful...funny enough it's the Thanksgiving season. So, naturally I'm not trying to be cheesy, but thankfulness and gratefulness to the Lord has been a HUGE theme in my life over the last several months. And with the comfort that has been given to me, with the call to obedience that has been given to me, and with the call of amazing encouragement that has been given to me, I want to pass it along to you.

I will never forget my sophomore year in college. I was going through a challenging time and the Lord prompted my Spirit with His Spirit, using the Psalms to thank Him. To Praise Him. And to make that a true habit and pattern of my life. To my sadness, I confess, I didn't learn it then. It's as if I just blew it off as something that took discipline, it was hard, and I kept dwelling in whatever thought it was at the time that plagued me.

Now, my dear friends, in going through one of the toughest years I see such value in Praise and Thanksgiving to our Lord through EVERYTHING. You see it continually in the Psalms to praise Him no matter what. King David sure did! He was in the toughest of toughs and still remembered the Lord and His unbending, strong, faithful character, and he praised Him for it. You see Paul express thanks and encourages the churches to always give thanks in all things, for that is God's will for us in Christ Jesus.

I've seen when my heart and mind want to stray from His truth, it's vital to praise Him and thank Him for all His MANY blessings He has lavished on us. In the good and bad times we are to remember Him.

I say some of this because over the past several weeks of spending time with kids, hearing more of their stories and situations...if any of you know me, you know my heart grieves and I probably cry as I hear these stories and even see them lived out. I have seen and heard some HARD things. Things that kids should NEVER hear, see, or experience. Oh, how I praise You Lord that You have already OVERCOME, through our Christ.

It's a hurting world and the sweet Lord has given me the spiritual gift of mercy, praise Him!!! But I say this because I can become melancholy and worried about the kids and their families.  However, I see so much of what He has already done and is doing..."Oh, Lord, that you would give me eyes to continually see You and Your mighty hand at work, unblind me." I think about how He saved me and, not only did He rescue me, but He's redeeming me and cleaning me up! That's exactly some of these kids' futures and lives in Him.

Please, lets join together praising Him and thanking Him continually...offering up that sacrifice of praise, because, let me tell you, sometimes it truly is a sacrifice to offer up to Him Praise that give thanks to His name. Sometimes we just don't want to, nor do we see the absolute value and necessity in it for our walks with Him on this side of eternity.

"Through Him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to HIS NAME." Hebrews 13:15 (nasb)