I Just Wanna Thank You

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. – Cicero

The psalms tell us indirectly there are 2 words the Lord never tires of – “thank you.” Maybe we should try it!

So often, we allow ourselves to become so preoccupied with the demands of daily living that we forget to say ‘thank you’ to the Giver of all good gifts. Worship and praise should be a part of everything we do for it is who we are at our core – a work of praise and worship to God. Praise is effusive in thanksgiving and adoration, and it opens our hearts to walk even more closely with God. It is when we forget to praise Him that we are so easily overwhelmed by life’s issues and lose our perspective. Work may be hard and strenuous, but we should thank Him for the means to provide for ourselves. Heartache may visit us from time to time, but we should thank Him that we have learned what love is all about. No matter the situation we may currently be facing, we should praise Him. Not only does it pay to praise God, but it lifts the spirit of our hearts, and that friend, is a blessing in itself.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“….through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name….” – Hebrews 13:15

Prayer: Start well Finish well

Things begun in prayer usually end in power. – Anon  

The early church prayed for power to speak the truth ‘boldly’ and caused an earthquake. WOW!  

When you get right down to the nuts and bolts of what we do and how we do it, we all want and look for things to end well, with pizzazz, fireworks, crescendos, flair, or just plain ol’ great success. That’s just human nature. But the end result is often predicated on the start and follow through that we put into it. This is particularly true in the ways of God. There is nothing we should ever attempt to do for Him without consulting Him first, even when it comes to our daily living. And when He answers, whether a big or small request; it’s not hard to see His hand in the process. But we must remember it is not titles, awards, past performance, or special recognition that guarantees such results, it is by prayer. Prayer accomplishes much and it is the ‘work’ of the faithful. The key to an effective prayer life is to value that which we know brings glory and honor to the Father.  

Until tomorrow……  

Pastor Botts  

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” – Colossians 4:2

Being Thankful

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. – Cicero

The psalms tell us indirectly there are 2 words the Lord never tires of – “thank you.” Maybe we should try it!

So often, we allow ourselves to become so preoccupied with the demands of daily living that we forget to say ‘thank you’ to the Giver of all good gifts. Worship and praise should be a part of everything we do for it is who we are at our core – a work of praise and worship to God. Praise is effusive in thanksgiving and adoration, and it opens our hearts to walk even more closely with God. It is when we forget to praise Him that we are so easily overwhelmed by life’s issues and lose our perspective. Work may be hard and strenuous, but we should thank Him for the means to provide for ourselves. Heartache may visit us from time to time, but we should thank Him that we have learned what love is all about. No matter the situation we may currently be facing, we should praise Him. Not only does it pay to praise God, but it lifts the spirit of our hearts, and that friend, is a blessing in itself.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“….through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name….” – Hebrews 13:15

Thankful for the little things

The more we thank God for what we have, the more we have to thank God for. – Anon 

When Jesus gave thanks over a few loaves and fish it suddenly became enough to feed 5,000+, with leftovers. Hmm! 

Count your blessings, name them one by one….so the song goes. The underlying theme is we could never really get to a final tally of just how much God has truly blessed us. We tend to be thankful for only those blessings we can quantify or tangibly note - like family, homes, jobs, etc. - but there is much more. Our freedom, our rights, our government just to name a few. Not to mention all that God through His divine providence put in place and keeps in place – sun, moon, stars, atmospheric conditions, ecosystems, food systems, etc., before we came on the scene. What he asked Job still resonates today, and we would be just as foolish to think we can tally up all he’s done for us. 

Until tomorrow…… 

Pastor Botts 

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life….” – Psalm 23:5-6