Choosing Gratitude 4

Personalization of Psalm 103:1-5:

O my soul, speak well of the Lord. Exalt Him. Magnify Him. Give Him the place of honor He deserves. All that is within me, pay Him respect. Cherish Him with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let no part of my life rob Him of glory. May all that is within me proclaim that He is holy!

O my soul, do not forget all that the Lord has done. Remember the many undeserved mercies He freely showers upon me. Remember the many times He helped through some hardship. Remember the many provisions He has bestowed upon me. Never have I suffered want. Never have I needed what He has not provided.

30 days of thanksgiving:

31. Dew in the morning

32. Hydrangeas

33. Times at the ocean

34. The little children whose parents ask me to spend time with them

35. Last summer, wherein God gave me the strength to complete my undergraduate studies

36. Special times at the Japanese Park

37. Capable dentists

38. Hearing that gunshot/s in our street (vivid reminder that my God protects)

39. Seeing those burning tires in the streets (vivid reminder that my God protects)

40. Dear homeschooling comrades many years ago in a faraway land

Choosing Gratitude 3

30 days of thanksgiving:

21. Opportunity to work at a Christian ministry every week

22. Opportunity to work at a Christian bookstore every week

23. The ability to drive

24. The ability to read

25. The ability to think

26. Coffee

27. Tea

28. A powerful laptop

29. A powerful camera

30. Picture editing software

Choosing Gratitude 2

30 days of thanksgiving:

11. God’s grace, which I don’t just not deserve, but the opposite of which I do deserve.

12. A caring church family

13. Sunshine

14. Summertime warmth

15. A backyard perfect for tanning walks

16. Kindle books to read while walking

17. A friend’s wedding coming up in a month

18. Shelves to maintain order

19. A working oven to experiment with recipes for baked treats

20. Bilingualism

Friday Finds

Was yesterday Friday? Oops. My lack of posting was not due to lack of content, I assure you. Sometimes my brain acts like a bucket with a hole in the bottom, I fear. Anyway, here are the links for this week:

One-eyed Cat by Jenny and Tyler
Regardless of what you think about their style, you’ve got to admit this is super cute!

True and Better
This sermonette by Tim Keller absolutely blew me away. Watch it.

Do You Have Something To Say?
“Parents shouldn’t feel the pressure to be arm-chair philosophers in order to speak into the minds and hearts of children. But maybe they should feel pricked enough to spend 20 minutes a day reading C. S. Lewis or Tim Keller.”

Parents, Don’t Dress Your Girls Like Tramps

What Books Will Become

Lady Gaga: A Psalmist’s Perspective

Should I Desire a Reward?

What Lucky People Do Different

“Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to parties intent on finding their perfect partner, and so miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through the newspaper determined to find certain job advertisements and, as a result, miss other types of jobs. Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there, rather than just what they are looking for.”

How Will I Spend My Todays?

The Big Picture: Pakistan

Amazing photographs! The people are beautiful! What adds to the meaningfulness of the images is that I am familiar with most of the cities in which they were shot. I lived there!

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Disclaimer: Just because I post a link here does not mean that I endorse everything contained on the respective site. I post links to specific content that I find interesting, but please use discernment in all internet browsing!

Choosing Gratitude 1

It really shouldn’t be so hard to spend time with the Lover of my soul, but it is. Perhaps it is meant to be so that I will realize it is only by His enabling that I will want Him more than my pitiful momentary pleasures.

Recently, I added Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy to my library. In the back of the book, it contains a 30-day devotional series. I’m doing it for the next 30 days, and plan to blog short meditations daily to keep on track with this much-needed study.

So, here goes:

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Poem from the front of the book:

Gratefulnesse

Thou that has given so much to me, Give me one thing more–a grateful heart….

…I cry, and cry again;

And in no quiet canst Thou be,

Till I a thankful heart obtain

Of Thee.

Not thankful when it pleases me,

As if Thy blessings had spare days;

But such a heart, whose pulse may be

Thy praise.

George Herbert (1593-1633)

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Colossians 3:12-17

Verse 17: “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.”

It seems that thankfulness is largely shown by how I spend my time. If I truly am grateful to the Lord for His mercy to me, and I realize that He could have thrown me in the pit of hell long ago, I will have no greater desire to please Him with the time He has allotted me here on earth. I am fully and only His because He has purchased me at such a great price. I owe Him my all. Lord, remind of this because I forget all the time!

30 days of thanksgiving:

1. Mercy of my God

2. God’s keeping of me when I repeatedly go my own way

3. Truth-proclaiming songs

4. Exhortation by other believers to remember the goodness of our God

5. Diverse styles of worship to the glory of a creative Creator

6. People all around me who demonstrate unconditional love

7. Opportunities to explore God’s wonderful creation

8. Parents who help me walk in the way God has planned out for me

9. Brothers who spend time with me despite my many faults

10. The time God has ordained for me on this earth to give back to Him

Friday Finds

I’ve been wanting to start this feature on my blog for quite some time. Though I can’t promise that it will be weekly, I will do my best to do it as often as possible.

Rather than constantly bombard my followers on Facebook and Twitter with links that I find interesting, I will share them in this “Friday Finds” feature on my blog. Enjoy, and I would love to know what you think!

The Giver is the Gift. What [WHO] do you desire most?

Finding Free Christian Kindle Books tutorial

Directory of Free and Discount Books for the Kindle

Thought-provoking article on trends in Christian boy-girl relationships today

Infographic: Canon vs. Nikon

Smuggling Character Into Grace

40 Worst DIY Car Repairs

How Can I Strengthen My Weak Faith?

35 Reasons Not to Sin

When Doing Must Be Done

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Disclaimer: Just because I post a link here does not mean that I endorse everything contained on the respective site. I post links to specific content that I find interesting, but please use discernment in all internet browsing!