May 3,2023

Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

I should be thankful to God

I should be thankful for God

I am thankful for the Father

I am thankful for the Holy Spirit

I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ

May you be thankful for God

"He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life backing away from his treasures. To him, death is loss. He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he’s moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain." - Randy Alcorn

 

May 2,2023

Ephesians 5:4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Be thankful

Be not filthy

Be not foolish

Be not coarse

But be fitting

Be thankful

"Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth." - Lysa Terkeurst

 

May 1,2023

Ephesians 1:16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

If you celebrate those who love you

you can love those who harm you

If you celebrate those who challenge you

you can celebrate the challenges in life

“I’m not perfect. I’m never going to be. And that’s the great thing about living the Christian life and trying to live by faith, is you’re trying to get better every day. You’re trying to improve.”—Tim Tebow

 

Its getting confusing I can say

Its getting confusing everyday

My left eye wouldn’t open today

A shadow walked or floated by

or is it did not walk or float by

But the scariest so far today

was the man who grinned at me

when he did not walk by today

Its getting confusing I can say

Its getting confusing everyday

4/28/2023

 

April 30, 2023

2Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

God is more

than I can imagine

than I can hope for

than I will ever need

"Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.” - John Piper

 

April 29, 2023

2Corinthians 8:16 ¶ But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

I can care

but only so much

God cares

so I can care more

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”—C. S. Lewis

 

April 28, 2023

2Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Follow God to triumph

Follow God in triumph

The fragrance of God’s knowledge is God’s gift to me

May the fragrance of God’s knowledge diffuse from me

“However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.”—John Calvin

 

Pray today

What to pray

What can say

About today

Bad today

Nations fray

Words spray

Keep away

I don’t say

When I pray

What can say

God will say

Fall away

Worse today

Rotting way

Bad today

God will say

When we pray

Sin away

Hope replay

Written for National Day of Prayer 5/6/2010

 

 April 27, 2023

2Corinthians 1:11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

Help others in prayer

be with them in prayer

be thankful in prayer

becoming one in prayer

“For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”—Saint Teresa of Ávila

April 26, 2023

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks

Victory

Lord

Jesus

“Joy is the infallible proof of the presence of God.”—Madeleine L’engle.

 

April 25, 2023

1Co 14:17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

Let giving thanks be contagious

Let offering praise be contagious

Let joining worship be contagious

Let sharing love be contagious

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

 

April 24, 2023

1Corinthians 14:16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?

Speak clearly your thanksgiving

so everyone can understand

Speak publicly your thanksgiving

so everyone can join with you

“What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”—Hans urs von Balthasar

 

April 23, 2023

1Corinthians 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

When the day is hard Remember God

When sin destroys you Remember God

When death overcomes Remember God

When life is glorious Remember God

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." - Corrie Ten Boom

 

April 22, 2023

1Corinthians 10:30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

Partake with thanks

Enjoy it with thanks

Share it with thanks

Avoid evil with thanks

“From the seed of hope grows the plant of faith and produces the fruit of love.”

Ron Ramsey

 

April 21, 2023

Romans 16:4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Give thanks to those who gave to you

giving of themselves for your life

investing in the blessings from your life

 

April 20, 2023

Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

A gift from God is each day

observe it

A gift from God is our food

thank God

“For what we have give the glorious God thanks. For what we do not have give the glorious God thanks.” Ron Ramsey

 

April 19, 2023

Acts 27:35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

I want bread

I need bread

I want Jesus

I need Jesus

“True faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God’s fidelity to His Promises.”—Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God.

 

April 18, 2023

John 6:23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks — 

Come to the place you were fed

Come to the place you were fed

Come to Jesus and give thanks

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”—John Piper.

 

April 17, 2023

John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Jesus gives to you

and offers thanks

Share with others

and offers thanks

(As I write this I wonder did Jesus give thanks for the food or the ability to share? I believe it was both!)

 

April 16, 2023

Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Bread is the food of life

nourishing the body

Bread is the body of Jesus

nourishing the soul

Give thanks to God

break it and share it

“I thought a joyful Christian was an oxymoron like jumbo shrimp, airline food and Microsoft Works.”

Phil Callaway

 

April 15, 2023

Luke 22:17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves;

Receive the cup

of Jesus’ blood

of His sacrifice

divide and share

 

“Reading biographies of great men and women of God helps you see reflections of the Light and glory of God.” Ron Ramsey

 

April 14, 2023

Luke 17:16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Fall down

look up

everyone can

give thanks

“When we work we work. When we pray God works.”

Hudson Taylor

 

April 13, 2023

Luke 2:38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

In a minute

God provides

we thank God

We speak out

“I’m not brave. I just refuse to be a coward.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

 

The United Methodist Church

has become very un-united

no longer is being Methodist

no longer acts as a church

I served over 32 years

and I weep at the loss

I mourn what it now is

and the exodus from it

 

April 12, 2023

Mark 14:23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Jesus took the cup

Jesus took our cup

Jesus offers us grace

Jesus dies for grace

I want to go home

but I never will

I cannot go home

because of my will

 

April 11, 2023

Mark 8:6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

Sit, trust, give thanks

God will provide

you can have and give

God will provide

“I remember sitting in church as a boy looking at the adults, who some of them looked like prunes, thinking to myself I don’t think I want to spend eternity with these people.”

Phil Callaway

 

“The only time no ever means no in the absence of violence is when it is uttered by one civilized person to another.”
― Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

 

April 10, 2023

Matthew 26:27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.

Jesus offers to us the cup of grace

and drank our cup of God’s wrath

Jesus gave thanks to take God’s wrath

to offer us the fullness of God’s grace

 

April 9, 2023

Matthew 15:36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Give thanks to God

Thanks for the loaves and fishes

Thanks for disciples and multitude

Give thanks to God

 

 I’m sorry Uncle Albert

I’m sorry I’m no good

I’m sorry Uncle Albert

I am not who I should

(This is a ditty I sing to myself when I am ashamed of who I am. So I sing this almost daily. One of the few people through whom I experienced total love and grace was my Uncle Al. He was married to my Aunt who liked to torment me and many others. I saw love and grace in Uncle Al’s life and for the first time I knew someone believed I could amount to something. I grieve I have disappointed God and Uncle Al.)

April 8, 2023

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Pray when illegal

Pray if will cost life

Pray and give thanks

Pray must be a custom

 

April 7, 2023

Psalm 140:13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Shall give

Shall give thanks

Shall give thanks to God’s name

Shall dwell in God’s presence

 

“Joy grows best in the soil of thanksgiving.”

Phil Callaway

 

April 6, 2023

Psalm 136:1 ¶ Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Forever

Good

Mercy

Thanks

 

April 5, 2023

Psalm 136:26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Mercy must endure

to be truly mercy

For mercy to endure

it must come from God

 

“To my mom laughter was like a windshield wiper, it didn’t stop the rain but allowed her to keep going.”

Phil Callaway

 

April 4, 2023

Psalm 136:3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

Some things need to be said again

To give thanks to God is said again

God is Lord of lords is why said again

God’s mercy endures is why said again

 

April 3, 2023

Psalm 136:2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.

Give thanks to God

the God of god’s

because His mercy

endures forever

 

“When people refuse to pay the price of personal responsibility for the problems of the nation, these same people end up paying the high price of irresponsibility, which is often in tragedy and sorrow.”
― Sunday Adelaja

 

April 2, 2023

Psalm 122:4 Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

Give thanks

as a tribe

Give thanks

as a testimony

Give thanks

to God’s name