Morning Thoughts

A walk through life toward eternity

17 Days to go, but do not wait to begin Thankfully Living Today

“First,
I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,
because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
For God,
whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of
the gospel of His Son,
is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,
always in my prayers making request,
if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.”

(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 1: 8-10 NASB)

When I was a fifth grader, I wanted to play the drums, and in my mind, I could see the whole set.  I sat behind my drum set; my older sister sat at her piano she so loved to play; my two younger siblings were there too, playing their instruments (trumpet and saxophone) on the stage within my mind’s eye.

Now, just to be clear:

  • My older sister has played her piano and organ and keyboard throughout her life.
  • My younger brother did learn to play the trumpet, taking lessons during school.
  • My younger sister was a saxophone player when she was a young teen.
  • My skill as a drummer never came to fruition because, you see, I am just NOT musically inclined.

Nevertheless, in my mind, I am a drummer, and in fact, this past weekend, I found myself plunking around on a piano and on my niece’s child-size drum set (even while I was supposed to be cleaning the baseboards)

Maybe you are reading and wonder how an entire family of children can be musically inclined except one.  I have often wondered that myself; however, I know the reason why and do not need to ponder why.  When I was young and even while I am older, making music has never really been my ‘thing.’  Instead, making messes, making plays on the sports’ field, and shooting hoops have instead been my ‘thing’ that brought me great happiness.  Never have I been able to play a melody because I was too busy running from softball to basketball to track running races.

With only 17 Days to go until Thanksgiving 2024, I am reminded how we are not to wait to begin Thankfully Living —

  • Not for the things God has gifted us to do.
  • Not for the things God has given to us.
  • But for those individuals God has walked into our lives.
  • For those individuals who witnessed, taught & testified to us about JESUS CHRIST.

Mankind is incurably religious!

Deep inside us, within each person, is a desire to worship.

However, if we are not careful, we can worship ourselves & worship the things we are able to accomplish.  We can seek ways to be happy:  striving to do life our own way & striving to be in control of ourselves & lives.

Thank Goodness, God has placed some guardrails to help us to not go off-road.

Thank Goodness, God helps us learn to strive toward heaven rather than for this life on earth.

Thank Goodness, God helps us to live Thankfully, focusing on Him instead.

  • Thank God, for Jesus!
  • Thank God, for His Holy Spirit!
  • Thank God, for God’s guiding hand of direction upon our lives!
  • Thank God, for those individuals who have fought for our freedom!
  • Thank God, for those individuals who have testified to us about Jesus!

Truly it is so easy to thank God for the things He has given to us & for the skills and talents He as gifted us to do & for the ways He helps us obtain the things we need—here on earth.  Yes, for most of our lives, we can live in thankfulness for what we purchase, for those items we think we need that will make our lives comfortable.  We can so easily become caught in the cycle of Living life Thankful for:

  • Our Homes.
  • Our Vehicles.
  • Our Careers.
  • Our Food.
  • Our Clothing.
  • Our Pleasurable Vacations.
  • Our Health.
  • Our Families.
  • Our Spouse.
  • Our Children.
  • Our Friendships.
  • Our . . .

But what if God allowed for all those listed items to slip away from us?

Would we still desire to THANKFULLY LIVE WITHIN THIS DAY?

With just 17 Days to go, it is important for us to acknowledge:  We must live a lifestyle of

THANKFULNESS—

  • Thankfully Living Today
  • Consistently thanking the LORD

for the witnesses HE has placed into our life-path!

In the Bible, found withing the 150th Psalm, we find this hymn of THANKSGIVING.

“Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.”

[then we see all the different musical instruments of thanksgiving we can lift to the LORD]

“Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.”

(The Psalms 150: 1-5 NASB)

If only I could have learned to play one of those many instruments as a child, but I did not.  Even today, when I see my older sister on stage stepping away from her keyboard to take up her tambourine to play with the praise and worship band, in my mind’s eye, I have the rhythm to be able to play.  However, in reality, I know the truth; I am not & will not ever be musically inclined—this side of heaven.  Nevertheless, the LORD has gifted me in another way of giving HIM PRAISE—of living THANKFULLY!

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!“

(The Psalms 150: 6 NASB)

We can live a lifestyle of THANKFULNESS—May we lift our voices in Thanksgiving today.

PRAY, THANKING GOD FOR JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOR, MESSIAH, & REDEEMER!

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