For These Things, I'm Thankful

Dread.  That's what I felt going into this day.  And it turned out to be just as I feared.  I didn't want to experience this day, not in the least.  As a matter of fact, I vowed from the moment we knew it was coming that I wouldn't.  I put my foot down so often & so hard in opposition to it that I have blisters!  But, Michael insisted - insisted, even, that it would be good for us to experience it.  I didn't believe him, & I still wish that we hadn't gone through it.  But, you can't undo the past, even when it's as recent as this morning.  See, our beloved pastor is preaching in Uganda.  So, someone thought it would be nice to have a "Homecoming" for the former pastor.  One in which he preached.  Now, Michael used to be a member of our church during this former pastor's reign, so I've been regaled with stories of "the glory days", as some have called it (Michael not being one of them).  Thus, my trepidation over this morning's service.  What I haven't mentioned is that this former pastor is a revivalist, complete with all the trappings that word conjures up.  And we got to witness every gory detail, of which I could say a lot - a lot - but I truly don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.  Instead, I'd like to focus on the one good thing that did come out of this morning's service:  a renewed sense of thankfulness over what we have at our precious church.  Fitting, as this is the week of Thanksgiving, don't you think?

Father, thank You for:
     *Pastors - & pastors' wives - who focus on You & Your glory;
     *Pastors who are filled with humility & grace;
     *Pastors who feed us the meat of Your Word;
     *Pastors who rely on the Spirit working in the hearts of men to bring about conviction & salvation;
     *Pastors who study Your Word & bring us correct interpretations of it;
     *Genuine, loving believers who surround us each Sunday;
     *A praise team whose sole ambition is to glorify & worship You through song;
     *Pastors who trust You to bring forth fruit, even if they can't see it;
     *Pastors who are faithful both in the pulpit & in their daily lives;

And last, but not least, thank You, Father, for bringing us to this church.  May Your glory be done in & through us!

Give Thanks to the Lord

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! ~1 Chron. 16:8

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! ~1 Chron. 16:34

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. ~Ps. 7:17

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. ~Ps. 28:7

Sing praises to the LORD, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name. ~Ps. 30:4

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. ~Ps. 57:9

Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! ~Ps. 95:2

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. ~Rom. 6:17-18

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~1 Cor. 15:57

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. ~2 Cor. 2:14

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. ~Col. 3:17

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~1 Thess. 5:16-18

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. ~1 Thess. 2:13

The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. ~Ex. 15:2