Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Giving Thanks

In Ephesians we are told to give thanks ALWAYS for ALL things.  At this time of the year we normally do shift our focus to giving thanks ... but not always for all things.  We have so many blessings that when we go to count them we never reach the end.  But there are those other things - often called problems - that we find hard to thank the Lord for.  We are going through a very difficult time right now with numerous family physical problems.  At times they do lead to sleepless nights and discouragement.  And yet these are part of the ALL things.  As I thought about it, I came up with a list of such things.  (1)  For years I suffered with a variety of troubling physical problems that doctors weren't able to solve.  Then a few months ago we decided to change a diabetes drug that I had taken for years.  And, amazingly, many of my problems seemed to clear up.  If that hadn't happened, I would have had major problems in dealing with some of our current challenges. PTL. (2)  Even though they are facing difficult physical problems, I have been blest with a father and father-in-law who are special godly men.  They have been inspirations and tremendous examples to me and my family.  I hate to see them suffer, but I thank the Lord for their 187 years of life.  PTL.   (3)  It is hard to break from family traditions - such as Thanksgiving dinner at our home.  But I thank God for family members who recognize the problems and develop alternatives.  I am blest.  PTL.  (4) We've discovered a bad case of mold in one of our walls and this will require a very costly correction.   I haven't yet seen how the Lord will work this out, but I know He will.  PTL.  (5)  The drop in gas prices has been an amazing blessing.  Our almost daily trips to Lititz, Sunbury, and now Danville would have killed our budget a few months ago.  But yesterday I was able to fill up at $1.85.  PTL.  Then there is my fuel contract - I received 166 gallons yesterday, at about $800!  That is just the beginning.  But, the scripture says ALL things, so PTL.  (6) God is even in the little details - with recent events we forgot to order pies for the family.  A quick trip to the bakery, hoping to still be able to get three pies, found - they had exactly - three pies left.  Seems like a small problem - but when you are in a time of stress, it becomes a major answer to prayer.  PTL. (7)  We have some major responsibilities on our schedule for the next few weeks and our present challenges may force us to cancel these.   Again, I don't know how the Lord will work these things out, but I thank Him, in advance, for doing so.   PTL.  And I could bore you with so many other small details that are answers to our prayers.  But to us, these are all evidences of God's presence in our daily lives, in the good times and the bad times.  So, thank you Lord for meeting our needs in ALL things.  God is good.  Have a thankful Thanksgiving.

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