Praise and Thanksgiving

On a journey such as ours it's easy to get caught up in the moment, therefore missing the benefits of stepping back to take a look at the big picture.  The negatives seem to outweigh the positives at times and it's easy to miss blessings along the way.  For that reason I'm enjoying again the gems found in the book I received from a good friend titled The Tremendous Power of Prayer by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones and Bob Kelly.  This small volume is filled with Bible verses and observations from wise folks on many subjects but this morning I'm looking exclusively at the subjects of praise and thanksgiving. The Bible verses are from the New International Version.

"Be joyful always;...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."-1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18.  At first it was easier to just practice the "in" part of this verse but now I also thank and praise Him for all circumstances as well.  Who would have thought that time would come!

"Too often we forget to thank God for answered prayer.  Praise is the proper punctuation mark for answered prayer."-Cadle Call.  I'm often guilty of this.  May I never take answered prayer for granted.

"The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart."-Plutarch.  I so often catch myself asking in prayer rather than thanking in prayer. This just might be my focal thought for today.

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."-Psalm 100:4.  I never tire of this verse.

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life."-Elisabeth Elliot.  I've used this quote in a previous post but it's so good I couldn't resist doing it again.

And that's enough to chew on for one day.  

On the health front:

No (blood) news is good news?  One can always hope😊