As I sit here, filled to the brim - no! overflowing - with good things, I am driven to thanksgiving. I can't help but remember, in a moment like this, all the times that He's been faithful. His mercies are indeed new every morning. Even when I am tired; even when laid low; even when remorseful and prostrate over my sin... still, in the midst of my never ending shortcomings... He is faithful. And I cannot help but fall to my knees in thanks and praise for the endless blessings He has bestowed on my life.
Let me briefly count the ways.
I am blessed with a strong, Christ-centered church and daily opportunities for ministry. I am blessed (perennially!) with a strong Christ-centered family who every day encourage me and spur me on toward love and good deeds. (It doesn't get much better than that, does it?) I am blessed by the opportunity to go to school (yes, it is a blessing) and study one of my favorite things - Spanish. I am blessed by all of you every day... my friends who have encouraged and supported me in so many, many ways. I wish, friends, I could tell you just how much.
And then, of course, there are things like these....
my second home...
carne asada...
.... Team Caborca...
Days like this....
Sunday nights. Random phone calls. Good conversations. Music. Worship. Old Testament Survey. Tia. Learning Spanish. RE-learning Spanish. Sunsets. Stars. Learning truth. Swing dancing! 4 hour nights. Italian modules. Movie nights. Antique stores. Books worth reading. Moments worth waiting for. Growing relationships. Searching the Scriptures. Sweet hours of prayer. Proclaiming the Gospel of salvation! The Valley and the Height. Singing old hymns. Cranberry bliss bars. Surprise parties. Finals. Much needed sleep. For even those moments that try the soul.
(Note: all of the above and so much more.)
Now here comes the best part.
And then, amidst it all, above everything else, first and fore-most... there is the unchanging, unwavering, continual faithfulness of God. What beautiful truth! It ever calls me to rejoice. There are His great promises that never fail... even in our weakness. There is His Word - double-edged sword and faithful guide - and His great mercy that never fails.
I have seen, in this past year, so much of His goodness. I have seen Him work in hard hearts. I have seen Him use a group of tired, hot, and weary people to make His glorious name known. I have seen Him prove faithful in every trial I have encountered.
While in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
My God is true each morn anew
He leads me that I shall not fall,
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, and by the way....
I have discovered anew the beauty of hymns. A ministry through Christ Community Church in Tennessee called "Indelible Grace" has been "recovering" hymns... taking amazing old lyrics and giving them new life. Immerse yourself in prayer, then in Scripture... then immerse yourself in these. Matthew Smith, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, and Mr. Haseltine (lead singer of Jars of Clay) are just a few among the group of artists who have been collaborating on this project. Great stuff. I recommend them to any and all.
And yes, they ARE from Tennessee, so a few of their renditions are a bit "country" for my taste... but the lyrics remain the same. With titles like "Whate'er my God Ordains is Right" and "My Lord, I Did Not Choose Thee"... I am more than willing to overlook slight taste preferences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 comments:
*smiles*
What a superb list! What more could we ever ask for?
Ah, those pictures bring back a flood of great memories. Good times.
I'm praying for you today, and the rest of the week, that God would give you REST and comfort.
"Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." -Ps. 30:4-5
Very blessed and thankful for your blogging! Keep at it! Hope school is going well for you...can you see the light as the semester draws to an end? Thanks for sharing with us!
Hey!!! HEY!!! Guess what??? I'm loving my Lord and I'm loving His promises. I'm loving the fact that I get to use my whole life to serve Him. I'm loving that His promises are true. I'm loving that He's faithful even in my weakest hour. I'm loving that I can trust in the midst of my darkest moments. He is good, and I know it. I KNOW IT! And guess what??? I'm gonna sing.
I'm gonna sing to the praise of His glory... and I don't care if "gonna" is not grammatically correct.
Join with me.
I love you Hannah. Those are great things to be reminded to be thankful for and I am excited about the hyms. I particularly love some of those artists and don't really mind country. In fact I like some of it....a lot...and I know one day you too will warm up to it : ) (at least you like blue grass)
He's always been faithful, Hannah, and He always will.
Keep pluggin' away at all those languages - the semester's battles are nearly over, and the time for rest and rejoicing is at the fore.
"Therefore, we do not lose heart..."
*I can't wait to hear you sing on Sunday!!!*
Very encouraging to read your thankfulness list, Hannah.
We like indelible grace too. I also like “Hymns Triumphant” which has terrific orchestral and choral arrangements.
By the way, I have an incredible recipe for Cranberry Bliss Bars that I found. I've had people tell me that they taste just as good as or better than Starbucks'. I'd be glad to email it to you if you want it.
Post a Comment