Thankfulness in everything

Take a few minutes each day to thank the Lord for something.

Here are some more entries. I do write daily but I don't always have the time to put them on the blog. May these posts encourage at least one person to be thankful daily.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Today is Mark’s birthday. I am extremely thankful for him He is a great husband and father. He is always there for me and our children. His grandchildren love their Papa and laugh at all his corny jokes. They look forward to “Papa time”.

I thank you, Lord, for his godly character and his willingness to share the gospel.

I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Philemon 1:4

Friday, November 20, 2015

 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Psalm 105:1

Today’s 5

1.God’s faithfulness

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

2. God’s longsuffering

The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Numbers 14:18

3. God’s compassion

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 86:15

4. God’s mercy

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:5

5. God’s love

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I John 4:10

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Today’s 5

1. Cape anniversary trip with Mark

2. Great weather

3. Walk at Cape Cod National Seashore

4. Dinner at Jake Rooney’s

5. Safety

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 150:6

Have a thankful day,
Donna

Lessons from Esther: Remember

20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. 23  And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; 24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;  

25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, 27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; 28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. Esther 9:20-28

Mordecai again writes letters to all the Jews in all 127 provinces. This time the letter is a communication of good news. He is recapping the story of the last year.

He begins by reminding them of Haman’s dastardly deed. Mordecai tells about the queen and her appeal to the king. He tells the whole account. His main purpose is to keep every detail in the forefront of their minds. He wants the 14^th and 15^th of Adar to be established as a special feast day. Not just for the current year but to celebrate yearly and to keep it as a memorial for generations to come. Mordecai wants the Jewish nation to never, ever forget what happened. The celebrating is for them to share their blessings by “sending portions” to each other and giving “gifts to the poor.” Along with the giving the story of Queen Esther is to be shared. Even though the name of God is not mentioned He wants them to realize why they were victorious.

The Jewish people still celebrate Purim. This year it is March 15-16. The main reason is to remember. Remember what God did for the nation.

How about you? Are there things that you need to remember?

Remember where God found you.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalm 40:2

Remember what Jesus did for you.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Remember God’s love for you.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

perfect in love. I John 4:10

We love him, because he first loved us. I John 4:19

A few “remembering” quotes:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. ~ George Santayana

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. ~ Benjamin Franklin

We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history. ~ Sonia Johnson

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Gospel gems –Be not afraid, trust God

14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Luke 21:14-15

This portion of scripture is speaking about the end times. Jesus tells the disciples not to fret and worry about what they will say if questioned or arrested (my take) by the “authorities”. God will put words in their mouths so the adversaries (from the Greek to lie opposite, be adverse) will not be able to gainsay (from the Greek to refute or deny) nor resist (from the Greek to stand against).

It is no different today; we are closer to the end times than the disciples. Now more than ever we need to put our trust in God and not be afraid of men. God will protect and guide us in everything, even the words we speak.

We need to trust God and “be not afraid”. … because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. I John 4:4

Have a blessed day,
Donna

I have a great life!

I work at a yacht club, lots of crazy busyness in the summer months, not so busy from Labor Day on. As a matter of fact it slows down to a manageable pace. We can actually get work done in a timely matter, not so in the summer. One will start a task and get “sidetracked” all day by questions, other jobs that need to be done “yesterday” and so forth and so on. Some days I leave at the end of the day exhausted and think, “I got none of my work done” but I did accomplish lots of other odd jobs that needed to be finished.

We have a junior sailing program, where sailing is taught to children from 5 to 18. The sailing instructor staff is made up of high school (junior instructors) and college (senior instructors and sailing coaches) students, who know the craft of sailing. We hire instructors from all over the country who have been brought up in the sailing world. Most of our instructors have been sailing since young ages, participating in regattas (sailing races); it is in “their blood.”

One of the instructors, returning for her third year, is a young woman from the Midwest. She has a jubilant, exhilarating spirit, always happy and upbeat. The students as well as the parents adore her. She will stop by my office every few days just to say “hi” and tell me a story about a regatta she just attended with her students. I look forward to seeing her smiling face.

The other day she stopped by and was chatting about her day off. She had worked almost 3 weeks without a day off and never complained about it. The next day she was going to the Red Sox game with some friends. Remember this is Red Sox nation, everyone in New England loves the Sox (well almost everyone). She was so excited she was bursting inside, going to a Red Sox game was one of her “must do things” while in New England.

When I got a chance to get a word in, I said, “You have a pretty exciting life”. Her reply was, “I have a great life! I am so blessed.”

What a wonderful statement, as Christians do we see our life as a “great life”. I reveled in this statement for the next few days. I have a great life, my reasons are a little different than my friend, the sailing instructor, but a great life it is.

Here are just a few of my reasons:

God has made each and every day for me to enjoy.
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

God has provided me with many benefits the most important is His salvation.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Psalm 68:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippines 4:19

The Lord has blessed me with three wonderful children, and four amazing grandchildren.
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127:3

God is always with me.
…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Heb 13:5

God loves me.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

I serve a great and marvelous God.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:2

Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 1 Chronicles 16:12

I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. Psalm 9:1

Have a blessed day,
Donna

The Best Valentine

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Happy Valentine’s Day

The Best Valentine Ever:

God – the greatest lover
God loves us so much. I John 4:8 …God is love.

so loved – the greatest degree
No one loves us more than God

the world – the greatest number
Think about it for a minute, God loves the entire world, not just your city or state but the whole world. God is not prejudice, God does not see color, size or infirmity.

that he gave – the greatest act
When you give something to someone, they are happy to receive and you were probably just as happy to be able to give. Imagine a gift from God.

his only begotten son- the greatest gift
Jesus is God’s only son. He came into the world a special way. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was no ordinary son.
Would you be willing to give your child to die for the world?

that whosoever- the greatest invitation
God opens the invitation to all mankind.

believeth – the greatest simplicity
All you need to do is believe. Believe in faith.

in him – the greatest person

should not perish – the greatest deliverance

but – the greatest difference

have – the greatest certainly

everlasting life – the greatest possession
To live forever in heaven with God. God never forces himself on us. It is our choice to accept or reject his love. Will you accept God’s love today?

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and share this Valentine with others.

Have a blessed day,

Donna