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Morning Devotional...


Be thankful unto Him...
Psalm 100:4

They glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful.
Romans 1:21

Here were a people who plunged into the very pit of degradation so that God ultimately gave them up, to wallow in the gutters of their own ungodliness, worthy of death, and bound for judgment.

How did they ever get into such a pitiable state?

Where did they begin that downward road to perdition?

"Neither were thankful"  A thankless spirit in a child produces the ingrate by whom God's blessings are taken for granted and God's greeatest Gift, His beloved Son, is despised.

Let us heed the exhortation, "In everything give thanks," and be thankful.
                                                           --J. Boyd Nicholson

Happy Thanksgiving to our Northern Friends.  

There are times when I get so down and out, then I start to think about what all God has given me.  I am amazed at HIS love for me sometimes, and it makes me thankful for the live I have.

I am reminded of a Chinese (I think) proverb I heard one time.  "I complained of having no shoes, until I met the man who had no feet."  Talk about perspective.

I just want to thank everyone again for the wonderful birthday wishes.  I actually "enjoyed" them all day long, but didn't get a chance to post till late in the evening, so wanted to post again, in case anyone missed it.

THANK YOU, you guys are awesome.

karmat

Lee, I just went back to read any posts I had missed and saw your little snippet on Isaiah 6:3.  That's a great thought!

Thanks so much.

Thanks for the devotional Pat.  It is 10PM here and I will go back and read it again in the morning.

Sorry if my having Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday confused everyone.  We had to fit it into my son-in-laws schedule due to his business.  

Amanda forgot to bring the attachment to download from her camera onto  my computer.  So will send them off from their place.  Pictures of two of her original watercolours, one pet picture for the autumn contest, with her bunnie, a couple of our dearly loved Perkins, a couple of little painting an cards that I did, and of course one of my face for the site.  Don't take good photo's as my face has more lines than a road map.  

So you decide what can or should be posted.  The turkey turned out great and  hope that everyone enjoys their dinner on the real Thanksgiving Day.

God Bless, Liz.

Did you get any photos of the turkey?

Or the family?  That would be nice to see as well.

But we'll be happy with whatever we get!

7.15 a.m.England.

Gosh You are on-line there Pat as I post.  It must be about 2-3  in the morning.
Thank-you for the lovely intro card and a great hymn.
The Devotional also reminds me of Jesus healing Ten  lepers.  Only one returned to give thanks!

"God inhabits the praises of His people".  

"It is right to give Him thanks and praise, this is our right and our bounden duty."(Book of Common Prayer).

This morning it is very cold and as yet no sign of the sun.

I'm still full of this virus and high temperature, sore throat etc., my nose is running all over the place. Ha Ha! Don't worry though, I've just disinfected this "puter".  I am afraid I have to cancel my flu jab due tomorrow. I Don't know when they'll do it again, if at all! However, it's no good adding insult to injury!

God Bless you all at this Happy Time,
In Praise of Him!
Jenny.

Goedemorgen allemaal /  Good morning all 9.50 AM

Pat thank you for the devotional and the nice hymn this morning.
I was thinking it was yesterday THANSGIVING but it is
TODAY???

And is that only in Canada not in America we in Holland
also not.

MY son in going back at work this morning he has been
home 4 weeks.
My husband is home today and tomorrow.

This week i am getting the result from the scan of my
bones.
My father is tired he has sleeped a lot yesterday when
he was here. I think that is coming from his radion
therapie.
It is a sunny day here in Holland the birds in my room
voliere are singing. They have no problems.

Jenny i wish you a good health for your throat

And i wish you all a good day
God Bless you and He is with you
Bye for now
LOVE RIA

Good morning to you all. And have a Happy Thanksgiving Day......to us Canadians anyway.....we had such a beautiful day yesterday....it started out quite wet and dark...but then the sun came out and chased all the clouds away and it was just beautiful.
  We had about ten to feed yesterday and the turkey turned out beautifully......it was a great day and we had good fellowship and I am just so thankful.....
well I will say bye for now....and God bless you all.
Paulette

Isn't it wonderful to take the entire day to reflect on all that we're thankful for. Love - primarily, the Love of God and the love of God's people one for another, and the love of family and friends. For the very ability to think and try to comprehend that marvelous love. For fellowship. For life itself. For the things we have that allow us to live more comfortably. For children, and smiles, and hugs, and sunshine, and beautiful colors.

Yesterday, I was delighted to speak with a cousin I've lost track of - we haven't seen each other since 1981. Now, through my brother, we've shared e-mail addresses and plan to begin corresponding.

So, I, too, am having a thanksgiving day today!

Ruth Ann

Thankgiving blessings to you all in Canada.

Belated birthday greetings Karma.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers. I hope and pray that my thoughts today do not take away from your joy.

LOL

Good afternoon / Goedemiddag 3.00PM

We in Holland have not Thanksgiving
our Turkeys are still alive  lucky  Thurkeys

I wish you all a good afternoon and evening

Love RIA

If ever my soul needed a 'pick me up,' or a 'word in season' then it is a today. My soul has been in my boots for the last couple of weeks and I do not know why! It is not a position I enjoy being in. I have done much soul searching trying to find an answer.

'Let it be known this day!' It is urgent. Speak clearly to my needy soul today Lord. Speak peace where now there is confusion. What wilt thou have me to do? I need thee more today than ever I did.

Have I angered God in some way? Am I sinning and not repenting? Have I taken the wrong turning? What have I done wrong? Is this just 'feelings' getting in the way of faith? Am I once again living by sight? I fear the answers to my last two questions!!

This morning I read the story of Joseph, his dream, his father's love, the coat of many colours, his brother's hatred and jealousy and him being sold and taken to Egypt. I love the story of Joseph as no matter when I read it, it gives me hope!

I also read a couple of chapters in the first book of Kings about Elijah. I was also encouraged by what I read and the way in which God answered the cries of His servant.

I am not calling for fire to come down from heaven. I am simply wanting to know the affection of my Heavenly Father in my own soul today! I am wanting to know it in a way that will banish every doubt and fear from my soul. Lord, I ask thee, 'let it be known this day.'

Had chapter 19 been omitted we would probably think of Elijah as the ultimate Christian. I love his defiance and his stand against the false prophets. The courage and confidence he shows encourages me. He had no doubt whatsoever that God was going to set the records straight once and for all.

Having called upon his God, the answer comes by fire, not an ordinary fire, a miraculous one. Everything about this display of God's power and sovereignty was miraculous.

Barrels of water were found in the middle of a great drought. The fire consumed the sacrifice from the top down the way, not like any other fires that we have witnessed.

Even the water in the trenches; that no doubt would have put out normal fires was lapped up in a miraculous way. God had answered Elijah's request to the letter!

Having witnessed such an event and having shamed his enemies, we would think that this would make Elijah even bolder in his service of the King. The Lord however had not finished answering Elijah's prayers.

'Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.' The ending of the drought was a further confirmation to Elijah that His God was with him. What happens next would be impossible for us to believe unless we think of Elijah as anything more than an ordinary man.

The threat from Jezebel was enough to knock the stuffing out of Elijah. We all have our weaknesses and Elijah was no different. When however the thoughts of our weaknesses overwhelm us we also wonder what is the point of going on.

Life is a daily battle!

Recently, so many good, young men Christian brothers have been taken from our midst. I could not help but question why young, fit and able men have been taken and others – not so fit or able – are left! My heart aches for the young widows and the fatherless children. May God Himself be their comfort and shield.

I want more than ever to make the most of the time I have left. I am ashamed when I realise that yet another day has passed and the good that I would have done, I did not! It gets me down when I consider the distance between myself and my Lord.

It is a horrible feeling when we see ourselves as worthless creatures. There is hardly a day passing for me now when I do not see myself as such. The inevitable sigh comes forth, 'what is the point of going on?'  This kind of thinking can be very destructive.

Away with it!

God regards me as precious in His sight. I dare not argue with Him. It is written in His Word and His Word is Truth. I may be nothing more than a beggar, but God can use this beggar for His own glory. I am but an empty vessel.

May I be filled with and by Him this day. As a beggar, my cry today is, 'Let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.' What I pray for myself, I pray also for my friends.

LOL

Your brother in Christ

Iain

Hi everyone.  Since I posted so late yesterday I don't really have much to post about this morning other than to say God gave us a most beautiful day yesterday and today appears to be the same.  I enjoyed coffee with some of my retired friends this morning and today will work on the webpage for my church and for our SeniorNet Learning Center.  Pat and I will probably go to the water aerobics class later this morning.

Pat, I checked the hymn books that I have for that hymn and for that hymn tune and I don't have it.  I will try to do some searching on the Internet to see if I can find it as well and have a friend who recently completed a lot of work on a new hymnbook for his denomination and may e-mail him to see if they have that hymn tune or hymn in their new book and if so if he could share the file with me.  I am sure it would be quite a job to write the music off from just hearing it on a cd.

While looking at the hymn books I picked up a little volume of poems that happened to be beside it that were written by my father's first cousin and published in 1938.  She is still living but has lost most of her eyesite due to macular degeneration.  Until just a few years ago she worked at the local newspaper and even continued her column after she reached the point where she could no longer go to the newspaper office.  I think I will share a few of these with the group from time to time.  


I hope our Canadian friends enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday today.

I am SO-O-O thankful that we've heard from our Iain.  I'm truly sorry, Iain that you've been having a bad time lately.  I've been praying for you and you are never far from my thoughts, brother!

I do pray that you'll get your "pick me up" today.  Yesterday was a very "low" type of day for me along with many others but  today I feel much better.  

Let's all pray for our brother, Iain, today.  It's so difficult being the head of the house and unable to do much work due to physical problems.  I know that this would bother Jack so very often.

I'm sending hugs, numerous hugs, across the ocean to that special island, Iain.  That island from where much inspiration comes.  God bless you richly today and stay in touch.

   Etta Sue Are you sure you didn't come to church with me?  Pastor Dennis has started the same series!  We also had the opportunity to say what we are thankful for.  

Judy

2.30 p.m. U.K.


IAIN You have been on my heart for two days!
Your words today turned me to "Wrestling with God".   Yes IAIN your dear friend J.Douglas McMillan.

WRESTLING WITH GOD.  Lessons from the Life of Jacob.

"In the words, 'When he saw that he prevailed not against him', we see not only the tenacity of faith but the trying of it also.  God is going to prove His servant and teach him some important lessons about the life of faith through this night of strain and testing.  Although he was already a man of God, the fact is that Jacob was all too prone (as we all are) to rely on the 'arm of flesh', on his own abilities. Therefore he had to learn(as we all must) that natural ability will not win spiritual battles...Paul put it like this: the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (not of this world), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds' (2Cor10:4).

Think of wrestling...the clashing of physical power the coming to grips with each other of two men..the meeting of two wills. The attempt of one will to bend the other to it's purpose.  THE ONLY WAY THAT THE UNSEEN THOUGHT IS UNVEILED TO THE ONLOOKER IS IN THE EBB AND FLOW OF THE PHYSICAL PROGRESS OF THE CONFLICT .

The place where God's light breaks through into the soul of man is dangerous. The flesh does not like it; thoughts are revealed: the motives of the will , the plans of the heart are laid bare.

JACOB OPPOSES EVERYTHING THAT THE ANGEL DOES. Every turn is met: every twist withstood: every grip countered...Jacob was terrific at resisting.........He had been well schooled in the theology that would further faith in the ways of the flesh.  He had learned from his other and his mother had acted in the very way that Jacob was acting now. She had acted in the power of carnal wisdom in order to fulfil the covenant promise of God".

PLEASE NOTE ... ".THE ANGEL TOUCHED HIM GENTLY. Normally it would require a very severe blow or twist to dislocate the thigh joint of a fit man".

HEAVENLY FATHER, thank-you that You do not punish us as we deserve but you touch us "gently". Please keep touching us gently even as we wrestle with You and bring us to the place where You want us to be.  In Jesus' Name. Amen!

Prayers for you Iain and for myself.
Jenny.

Karmat Mother taught me this poem

Well Pat.

YOu ask what we are thankful for.  I am thankful for a Father who has worked in His time and reunited the family.  We had Turkey day with Bonnie and Sean.  When you consider that they didn't speak to us for 3 years, that is indeed something to be thankful for.  We had a good day.  

Another thing I am thankful for is the job John has.  So many men are out of work.  John has a job and it is so good to have him home more.  

The colds and flu are just about gone in the house.  Another praise report.

Yes we have a lot to be thankful for.

Judy

Thank you Pat. Iain, Jenny,Larry and Judy B for all your thoughts and devotionals this morning.I have so much to be thankful for.

First and most important is for God's saving grace, He brought me out of the pits of hell I was in and set me high upon the rock of His salvation. He gave me back my family, He wakes me up every day with a song in my heart, He puts me to sleep every night with His name on my lips.

He hears and answers my prayers, He heals my body, Forgives my sins, and renews me each day. He has given me eyes that can still see, ears that hear, feet and legs that take me where He wants me to go, hands and arms to reach out and be His hands extended.

He is my Lord and my God, I will serve no  other ,nor will have any other gods before me. As for me and my house...we will serve the Lord.

My gratefulness for His blessings is neverending, he has given me that Blessed Assurance that I will be with Him in the place that He has prepared for me, in heavenly places aand has invited me to be present at the Marriage supper of the Lamb of God.

THANK YOU FATHER FOR LOVING ME SO MUCHTHAT YOU GAVE YOUR ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SO I, MARILYN, WOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

Father I need thee every hour, yes Lord I need thee every hour.

Iain i thank you for your devotional i have missed you
but you are in my prayers dear brother.

Larry thank you for the nice poem

Judy B also thank you for the nice poem

I have also a lot poems but in Dutch and it is very
difficult to translated Dutch poems in English.
Some prayers i can translated then i also can use my own words.
JudyB i also am very that the booth men in my house
have work. A lot people in Holland have not work.

Bye for now
RIA

If I had only looked at my calender, it says today is Thanksgiving Day (Canada).  Soooo
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, CANADA!!
It is also Columbus Day in the U S of A.  No mail for us Americans today!!!

Judy B ~ I am going to love this study on 'The Purpose Driven Life'.  Are you breaking up in small groups?  Jerry and I are meeting at one of our pastor's home Tuesday night.  If I don't learn anything at all, this will be a fun meeting.  Him and his wife are both extroverts!!!  Will do anything comical to get the message across.  Yesterday Deborah had on a WalMart vest and was a greeter in a skit.  'WELCOME TO WALMART!'  She thought that gave her purpose.  It was very funny.  Also, I think Judy M is doing the same study.

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Today for day two was this poem....by Russel Kelfer

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

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Has anyone else started the 'Holiday' tutorials for PSP?  Just hope I can keep up with both of these projects but God comes first!!

Iain ~ You certainly have been missed.  Don't be too hard on yourself.  God has you in his plans.

Today is beautiful in Indiana.  Bright, sunshine, a little nippy but to get to 72°F.  Not bad!!!  My yard is full of leaves...they are dropping fast!!!

?º°`°º?ø,¸¸,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`°º?ø,¸¸,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`°º?ø,¸¸,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`
"Quote in a church bulletin:  The Lord loveth a cheerful giver; He also accepteth from a grouch."

5.25 p........

Marilyn thank-you for that.  The Lord bless you.  He has done a mighty work in you. Praise Him!

Good morning all.  The day is cloudy and wet and that is good because rain is needed here on the island.  There certainly is much to be thankful about and having the freedom to celebrate Thanksgiving Day is only one of many blessings.

Ria, I loved your comment about the turkeys in Holland.  

It was so nice to read your posting Iain.  I have a much more simplistic approach to my faith, so hope that God will not lose patience with me.

I read a silly little poem, that can apply to most all folks.  It is meant to bring a smile and not to be facetious:

HOW  TO  BE  HAPPY

Are you disgusted with life, little man?
I'll tell you a wonderful trick
that will bring you contentment, if anything can,
Do something for somebody, quick!

Are you awfully tired with play, little girl?
Wearied, discouraged, and sick
I'll tell you the loveliest game in the world,
Do something for somebody quick!

Though it rains like the rain of the flood, little man
and the clouds are forbidding and thick,
You can make the sun shine in your soul, little man
Do something for somebody, quick!

Though the stars are like brass overhead, little girl,
and the walks like a well-heated brick
and our earthly affairs in a terrible whirl,
Do something for somebody, quick!
       -unknown

Remember, I did say that I have a direct way of dealing with problems.....

God Bless, Liz.

Good afternoon everyone.  I hope that you are having a peaceful day.  I am at work, but it is super slow right now, so I am playing on the 'puter.  I think I will order some lunch.  It is bound to be better than the vending machine.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING -- I may order a turkey sandwich in honor of you!
karmat

Praise the Lord for His goodness and His blessing. Answer to prayer here.

I called My friend's husband at work this morning, and after speaking with the electrician he is going to see about ordering me a used  window motor for my car if that is the problem aand he will pay for the motor. I am taking the car there tomorrow and the electrician is going to see just what is wrong with it on his lunch hour so I won't be charged for taking it into the shop at the dealership. What eve fixing is required will be on his onwn time at a fee much much less than usual for a shop. Shop prices are $55 an hour and up.

This is not for Marilyn lol  

http://www.traviscase.org/Sermons/Depression_Contentment/ChristiansDiscouraged.html

thats great marilyn.  Go God!!!!

 There we go! A fine song for God's children to sing, and it will help to chase those blues away Iain!
http://members.tripod.com/~Spirit_Songs/ifyoufee.htm