Joy is…

Piper’s devotional for today is about the failure of ‘stuff’ to make us happy. He gives stats showing the poor vs. the rich and how being rich does not do it. This is a common idea: money does not buy happiness.

How about defining the terms? Christians tend to define happiness differently than joy. Joy lasts and is not about circumstances. Happy is about circumstances. While I can be happy with what happens, difficult circumstances cannot rob me of joy.

Piper gets most of his biblical quotes from Proverbs which are general truths or common principles, not false, yet definitive in many cases. For instance, one says: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.” (Proverbs 15:17) This does not mean that all dinners of herbs are better than a feast. Instead, this describes the contrast between love and hate using two kinds of meals.

That said, my experiences show a few different ‘proverbs’ about having stuff and being happy can also be true. For example, I know some very wealthy people who are miserable, but others with scads of money who know Jesus Christ and are joyful all the time. Their joy isn’t in money.

I also know poor people who struggle to make ends meet. Some of them are worried all the time and complain often about their lot in life, but others are happy with a contagious joy, no matter how little they have. These are the people who also know Jesus. Their joy is not about stuff.

My conclusion: joy is a fruit of being filled with the Holy Spirit and trusting God, no matter what my bank balance says. Joy is the delight of knowing the Lord and knowing He is in charge. He “owns the cattle on a thousand hills” and gives me all that I need, including contentment. Being happy with what I have is a by-product of joy. But if I let happiness depend on what I have rather than on the source of it, the Holy Spirit, then I will be anxious, wanting more, etc.

These verses contrast having stuff with not having stuff, and use that to illustrate the contrast between living my life as God directs (through His Spirit) and living my life according to my selfish desires. It isn’t about stuff, but about what I want vs. what God wants. It is not sinful to be rich unless I make riches my resource, my god. Here is the list from Proverbs:

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. (Proverbs 16:8)
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Proverbs 16:19)
Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. (Proverbs 17:1)
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. (Proverbs 28:6)
Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. (Proverbs 14:21)
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. (Proverbs 16:20)

These verse are illustrations. They could be written another way that is also true.

Great riches can be a blessing to many in the hands of someone who is righteous.
Those who have much are blessed to share it with those who are needy rather than with others who also have much.
A banquet filled with joyful noise is better than a silent meal where those present will not talk to each other.
A rich person who is known for honest integrity is better than a poor person who lies and steals to supply his meager needs.
Sadness comes from neglecting or hating the needy to wallow in all that I have.
All negative emotions and misery are mine when I am totally selfish instead of reading and heeding the will of God and trusting Him. 

 I could add what others say, like George MacDonald: “Happily for our blessedness, the joy of possession soon palls.” The sad part is thinking that having bigger, better, more, or the latest stuff will renew or restore that joy, but even if it does, that happiness  does not last. To suppose it will just keeps me in a self-centered cycle.  I have also noticed that some people have all they need and more, but still whine and complain as if they are terribly hard done by.

PRAY: Lord, You brought me into Your kingdom when I was very poor and let me see how You not only supplied all my needs but gave me that joyful contentment that outlasts and out-weighs any other source of delight. I’ve been poor and I’m also rich, not in mere money (who can take it with them to eternity), but in knowing that no matter what You give or withhold, joy never depends on the gifts but the Giver. Thank You.

Thankfulness?

Today I have the privilege of delivering an answer to prayer. A refugee we know was a tailor in his home country, but his lack of English skills prevent him from employment here. Instead, he is sewing garments for those who cannot find or afford the styles they want to wear. He needed a new machine and God directed me to a friend who gave him the exact model he hoped for. It required an accessory which has also been gifted to him and I am delighted to deliver it.

This man is thankful, not only to the donor that made this possible, but to the good and sovereign God that he worships. Being thankful is an important virtue. Those who are not grateful stand on a slippery slope easily sliding into sinful idolatry. Yet those who give thanks also need to remember the One who is the source of all goodness and give thanks.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

Jonathan Edwards said this about gratitude: “True gratitude or thankfulness to God for his kindness to us, arises from a foundation laid before, of love to God for what he is in himself; whereas a natural gratitude has no such antecedent foundation. The gracious stirrings of grateful affection to God, for kindness received, always are from a stock of love already in the heart, established in the first place on other grounds, viz. God’s own excellency.”

Piper explains that God is pleased when our first delight is the beauty and excellency of God’s character, not merely in the delight of His benefits. This is a subtle thing, yet I am aware how easily I can miss it and make the gift my focus rather than the Giver.

If I gave a gift to someone and they thanked me often for it but had no regard for me, I would feel insulted or at least disappointed — no matter how much that person said thanks. If my character or generosity did not give that person joy in being with me, I might feel used, as if I didn’t matter and was just a delivery person. 

I know the difference. God wants to be the foundation of my gratitude. This can happen only because of the Holy Spirit and the new life I have in Christ. Otherwise, offering thanksgiving is just an emotion that happens totally apart from loving the Giver. True gratitude thinks of the goodness of God — yet does not leave out joy in His gifts.

When we delivered that sewing machine, I remarked on the goodness of God. Then the man who received it said, “God is good all the time.” When we visited his home last week, one of his adult sons said the same thing. “God is good all the time.” Their example illustrates the point: delight in God is true gratitude.

PRAY: Jesus, I thank You for this family whose hearts are so filled with love for You that they would give thanks even if their dad had to keep using his beat-up old machine without getting this new model that You so graciously supplied. This is a good example that models worship of You and contentment, rather than relying on Your blessings to urge thankfulness. You truly are good — all the time. It is also true that You are not glorified if the foundation of my gratitude is the worth of Your gifts and not the excellency of You, the One who gives all good things. Amen.

 

Responding to authority…

 

Before I became a Christian, I worked for an advertising agency, mostly doing ad layouts and running errands for my boss. Two others also worked there and when they quit, I was expected to do their work too, and without a raise in pay. At the time, this seemed unfair.

Since then, I’ve not had to work outside my home and any money earned is from being self-employed, yet I can relate to today’s devotional reading. As it says, my boss is not a person and not even me, but the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. (Ephesians 6:5–9)

Piper says whatever I’m asked to do by a supervisor should generally be viewed as an appeal from the Lord. Back then at my job, I didn’t know the Lord, but I can see now how He used that job experience to teach me to be loyal and work hard. The Bible addresses any complaining I might have made then with this:

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. (1 Peter 2:18–19)

And the Ephesians passage says that God actually takes care of the raise in pay, not that He gives more money for doing good work but that He blesses those who do their best because the work is done in faith. In other words, this attitude of respect and being gracious to those in authority over me comes from Him, so any goodness is from Him, done in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Those who live that way know that no other reward is needed! Living for the Lord and for His glory is its own blessing. As Jesus said:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14–16)

The challenge for me is letting my light shine so others can see it in such a way that God is glorified. This is an often misunderstood concept. Usually, when myself or others are praised, it is a pat on the back. However, at a conference I praised the organizer and she said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) That was a pleasant surprise and a response to emulate. It is very easy to take credit and rob the rightful One to which it is due. 

LORD: How easy to work for human praise. I’ve been criticized for not ‘showing off’ my work by those who do not understand why I avoid self-glory. At the same time, You make me aware that I should never avoid good works — as long as I remember and do them in the ability You give. You say to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) I also need to leave all misinterpretations in Your hands and refuse to lift up my hands to pat myself on the back.

Gifted

As a new Christian I knew nothing about rating sins or prejudice. My dad sometimes criticized those who were lazy and my mother was a bit leery of ‘foreigners’ but nothing serious. It was a surprise when the local church held it against me because I was divorced. Little did they realize how that event was part of God’s way to bring me to the foot of the Cross.

While I didn’t fight that or even resent it, even thought it was ‘the Christian way’ it later shocked me to be accepted and welcomed by others who knew nothing about my past life. At the same time, it took years to get used to the idea that God accepted me, that Jesus died for me while I was still a sinner, and that all fall short. We have no business treating others on some sort of a sin scale.

The first were missionaries I’d financially supported. We met them and they freely offered me their kindness and support. However, I experienced the old habits of many believers who rated people, and found it an easy habit to fall into. It seemed that because God exposed my sin and urged an obedient life, I was supposed to do the same, yet doing it like God does it was beyond my ability. His gift of using all things to change lives was not how I operated. 

But He worked to change that too, and to teach me how to live in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. This is an amazing gift from God. It comes through confession and repentance, but also by learning how to walk as Jesus walked…

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. . . (Romans 1:11)
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29)
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6–8)
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: (1 Peter 4:10)

Illustrations are helpful, like this one. In the 1992 Olympics, the British runner Derek Redmon tore a ligament midway through his race. The rest of the runners went on to finish, but he was  on the ground writhing in pain with his hopes and dreams shattered beside him. He first tried to run again, but after a few short strides, his legs buckled and he slowed to a walk. I know what it feels like to be down and out, without hope.

But then another man appeared on the track. Security guards tried to stop him, but he pressed on and put his arm around Derek’s shoulder, coaxing him as the crowd cheered. The two  crossed the finish line together. The man was Derek’s father.

My Father does it too, with His arm around me, with words of encouragement, with the example of others. He has gifted me with people from various walks of life who run the same race and seem to know just what I need. One was an elderly woman, a cheerleader. One is a quilting neighbor that turns gloom into sunshine, One more who encourages me with exceptional understanding. Another is a teenage boy who treats me like his very best friend. An hour with these gifted-by-God people and I am energized to keep going. 

PRAY: I thank You Jesus for giving me people who are gifted by You to show Your love and acceptance. They have been godly examples of what You are like and deepen my desire to be more like You. While that Olympic runner may not have realized it, because he relied on the help of his father, he set an example for those in the Christian race of life to do the same. The crowd may not see that I am a winner, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, You gifted me with whatever I need to do all that You have given me to do to finish my race. Thank You!

Why the small blessings?

 

Today brings another thought; why does God take such great care for the smallest things? I get answers regularly for prayers about parking places, ideas for making quilts, unexpected help from workers who have fixed things in our home, the rapid growth of garden seeds, even God’s voice guiding me in shopping, or who to call today, and what to put on my chore list — a host of ordinary stuff being blessed. 

I’m reading about the goodness of God. Charnock says just creating things was not the main reason for their existence. God made all things good and rested because they were good — naturally useful to the universe, even as shadows of His own goodness. Not only that, He made all things good and useful to His supreme creation — human beings made in His image.

The Bible says, “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” (Psalm 145:9) even as we might wonder “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:4–5) We are a display of His goodness — He made humanity after His own image, not animals, not birds or trees, bugs or flowers; but people who bear the marks of their good Creator.

Charnock goes farther to say that all of creation was made good to serve the use of humanity. Water, sunshine, plants and animals, even each other, everything was given to us because of the goodness of God. Everything. Even parking near the door, drapery salesmen who happened to be firemen and able to hang a painting in an impossible place, seeds that sprout twice as fast as the label says, all the little blessings are from His goodness.

But what if these blessings are missing? Charnock says that the “treasons” or sin of humanity against God brought misery upon that which was framed for the use of humanity. The free gift of eternal life is forfeited and that which was made good for our use will “bear the marks of His sovereign fury.”

God’s story tells how Adam forfeited all by sin and then the world became resistant to human use. Thorns and thistles, hard work. God sent a flood to renew creation, yet this renewal did not last. God planned that, “The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” (Genesis 9:2–3) yet warned that with disobedience would come great consequences:

“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26:14–20)

God’s goodness desires obedience. God loves us, loves what belongs to us, but disobedience brings judgment upon sinners and their goods. At the same time, no one can boast that obeying brings a rich life, for that comes from God’s goodness, not mine, and yet it is available to all through faith in Jesus Christ and the redemption God offers — in His goodness!

PRAY: Lord, You tell me to obey because living for You brings blessing. Your pure goodness cannot bless disobedience. It is folly to think that I could do whatever flies in the face of Your image in which I was created. Thinking of Your goodness in itself is a blessing, and I am even more grateful for Your answers to my ‘little’ prayers, for in them You affirm that walking with You is the only way You intend me to live.

God’s gifts to us…

When Christians are at odds about what is most important, some of the conflict could be rooted in their spiritual gifts. Those who study the gifts teach that this passage in Romans is about motivations:

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6–8)

Years of observation and study say a Christian has all seven, but one or two will dominate and determine their focus in ministry, and should be appropriate to other situations. A brief description puts it this way:

Prophesy (perceiver of God’s will) - desires to be centered on spiritual principles.
Server - desires doing practical things for others.
Teacher - information gatherer and wants it shared.
Exhorter - desires to know and live the truth, looking forward.
Giver - provides specific needs, a channel for God’s resources.
Leader (Administrator or visionary) - desires organization, moving forward, orderly.
Compassion - desires right relationships, hurts healed, people to be comforted.

Gift combinations produce interesting results. For instance, a perceiver/teacher will be more black and white than a compassion/teacher. An encourager also gifted in leadership with function differently than an encourager/server.

As I read the devotional book for this year, I finally realized that the author does not have the same gifts I do, and I’ve tended to challenge some of the entries. In my thinking, if someone is upset or filled with anxiety, it is due to an error in thinking and not being centered on what God says. Instead of comfort, or to be comforted, they need to better understand the will of God.

Today’s reading focuses on this verse: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3) Of course this is true, yet how God treats me depends on what is making me uncomfortable. If I want my way and am resisting Him, He is not going to cheer me up by giving an okay to that resistance. Sometimes I face strong discipline. At the same time, I know the Lord is the only one who can give me a hug and a rebuke at the same time.

The gifts He gives all require faith in their use. If I am walking in the flesh, I can be a black and white know-it-all. If an encourager is walking in the flesh, they come across as a used car salesman (apologies for the stereotype). A comforter can totally miss the mark if I need correction. This is why God gave this mixture of gifts. The Body of Christ needs all seven, used in wisdom and timing. If an elderly person slips and knocks over a cup of coffee, they need a different word than if the spill was made by a young person who was showing off and careless.

Last week, my daughter asked me an interesting question. “Everyone has a main goal in life. What is yours?” We’d been talking about paying bills and having no debt, so I was not sure what she expected, but this came out: “I want to be content in all of life, no matter the circumstances.” I may have inserted “trusting God” in there, can’t remember. However, just saying it and remembering what I said, has helped me this week as we moved to a different house and face the formidable task of finding a place for what is needed and disposing of the rest. Physical fatigue is one thing, but being stressed and discontent takes a far greater toll. Attitude is more important then gifts!

PRAY: Lord Jesus, I am grateful that You are the God of all comfort and the God of everything else that is needed. You sent others with gifts that minister to me and give me opportunities to serve others with my gifts. Most of all, You are strong, even perfect in all of them, and are able to be all that I need when I need it. Jesus, You are God who is enough!

Always the Same

Myself and two other women met on Thursday to pray. Most of our time together was marked with praise. God had answered our prayers for several people and we rejoiced. During that time, one person’s phone rang. It was her husband. He’d heard so many answers to prayer that morning that he had to call and tell her. On my way home, I was filled with joy and humbled by the incredible goodness of God.

Today’s devotional offers the observation that Christians who experience a morning like that can see wisdom, strength, or spiritual riches of one kind or another in which to glory. But when we come down from this “high” into ordinary life, these thoughts vanish as if we had nothing left to glory in. As I read that statement, my reaction was mixed. If I am rejoicing in only the good times and what I can see, is not my focus off God and more about the pleasant blessings He bestows and the comfort of His care rather than the reality that He is good all the time — even when I cannot see it?

When the disciples were out on a boat with Jesus, He was asleep and they were afraid they would drown. Before they started this voyage, He told them they were “going to the other side” but they seemed to have forgotten that, and did not think that He the has power to get them where He told them they would go.

This is what the Christian life is filled with — days and times of total uncertainty. Our situation and feelings go up and down, but that does not mean that our God is bouncing us on a yoyo string. In all of the ups and downs, I am learning that He is unchangeable. What we call “spiritual blessings” are not the same, at least unchangeable to my vision, but they ought to be like that in my theology. Truth pulls the train, faith follows — then emotions. If I let emotions take the lead, then when prayers go unanswered and life is full of uncertainties, my faith falters and what happens to truth? It gets shoved into a corner and I need a rebuke, or a pointed sermon, or some discerning soul to give me (and those emotions) a good boot back to where I should be thinking.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

If joy is lost, then I’ve forgotten that my joy is in the truth about God. Life may seem as if all is lost except the desire to have my comforts return, yet God is still with me, and still the same as when I am aware and focused on His goodness. He didn’t move; I did.

I’ve had aches and pains this week, partly related to a cold snap that aggravates these old muscles and bones. This is a distraction from the goodness of God. Why do we tend to relate that to our health? Most of the prayer requests we hear are about health. While I understand the desire to feel good, might I be better to pray for an increased focus on the Lord who never changes? He is still sovereign, still loves me, still using all things for my good — to transform me into the image of His Son. That should make me overflow with joy all the time.

PRAY: Lord, I’ve no idea what the day will bring, but ask that You will allow me to focus on You and Your unchanging goodness and find joy in that. May You be the delight of life, a delight that can look beyond aches and pains, unanswered prayer, and any other discomfort that might come along. Use all things, as You say You will do, to change my life and to be stedfast and faithful to You, just as You are to me.


 

God is the source of every good gift

 

God has given us everything good to enjoy; sunshine and showers to bring flowers and gardens and crops, soil rich in natural fertilizers, animals and plants for food and clothing, sources of energy, including rain to make things grow, minerals to make the soil fertile, and sources of energy for industry and mobility, skill to invent and create, relationships to cherish, wisdom for life — everything is from Him. We ought to be thankful for it all.

I know a handful of people that seldom, if ever, say thank you. They are never content, nothing satisfies them. It’s obvious that those who will not thank others for anything will never thank God either. Their lack of gratitude is scary and a slippery slope:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools . . . . (Romans 1:18–22)

Parents usually need to teach gratitude to their children. Immaturity is ‘I want what I want when I want it’ and entirely self-centered. Many a child grows up expecting and even demanding that all their needs and wants are met, not thinking of what it costs the sources to supply those things.

Translate that to the gospel. I, a sinner deserves nothing from the holy God who created me. He could have turned His back but instead He sent His Son to die for my sin. That is the cost. Ignoring it or saying I don’t need Jesus is unthinkable, yet that happens and those who turn their backs on God’s offer put themselves on a slippery slope simply by refusing His good gifts and not being thankful.

He reminds me often that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) Yes, there are times when God varies in how He deals with me, and times when His face seems in a shadow and I do not understand what He is doing or what He wants, yet this is not because God has changed. He is always trustworthy and the “same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) In other words, I cannot always figure Him out yet He is consistent in His being and His character. That is a huge reason to be thankful.

Besides that, “Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:4–5) This means that whatever God brings into my life, I can say thanks and pray, setting it apart as from Him using His Word to guide me. Some things, like temptation and evil thoughts, are not from Him. Sickness, plans, and attitudes can be measured in prayer also. If they are from God, He will reveal it; otherwise, He will remove it.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11)

Good things are there for the asking. Not that I’m to ask selfishly and for my indulgence. Fame, fortune, popularity, and a host of other things may seem good, but God is not my cosmic ‘good fairy’ who waves a magic wand and makes me healthy, wealthy and powerful. His definition of good is not like that of the world.

Jesus, You tell me to “give thanks in all circumstances” for this is Your will for me. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) This is not about the circumstances but about gratitude, about turning my focus from every situation, good or not so good, to the One who is in charge of my life. It is about realizing that You have reasons for those circumstances. You even tell me to rejoice in trials for You use them to build patience and faith in my life, part of the “all things” that You use to transform me. Instead of resisting unwanted circumstances, being thankful makes me open to the transformation and other good things that You have in mind. For all this, I am thankful!

CONSIDER: I used to write every night in a ‘thankful journal’ but stopped that habit. It would be wise to get back into that way of daily reminding myself of the goodness of God.