Saturday, November 15, 2008

Forgotten Blessings

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 32:13-45:28
Matthew 11:7-14:36
Psalm 14:1-18:50
Proverbs 3:19-4:13

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 46-Exodus 9:35
Matthew 15:1-19:30
Psalm 19:1-24:10
Proverbs 4:14-6:5

My apologies for my absence during the past few weeks. Today is the first Saturday in weeks that I have had the energy and good health to spend any lengthy of time in front of the computer. I guess this means it will take more than 52 weeks to complete our Biblical journey! This week I do not have a focus verse for a few different reasons, the most important of which is that what I feel God is speaking to me heart to share with you is not necessarily spoken directly through this week's scriptures. I want to share with you this week some things that I have taken for granted...namely: almost everything & everyone that God has blessed me with! Sure, I thank Him for the obvious blessings every day: my loving husband, my supportive parents and grandparents and an especially amazing uncle. But every person and every thing in my life is not mine...they all belong to my heavenly Father and it is He who has graciously and lovingly surrounded me with so much that even in the valleys of life my cup and my saucer overflow! So, as I type today on His keyboard at His computer to each of you, His blessings, I am making a conscious choice to find a new gift each day to be thankful for. Whether it is just His colorful pen with which I get to write a grocery list or a strong bout of good health! Are there blessings in your life that you may be taking for granted? Are you watching His cable TV today? Or maybe wearing His comfortable fuzzy socks? Is it possible you are getting ready to drive off in His car to run errands using His gasoline and the protection of His angels to get you safely there and back? Let's strive together to make every effort to not take for granted all that is God's, which He is allowing us to enjoy for a time. Won't you please join me in prayer today?

Father God,
It has been too easy to forget that all I have is not mine but is on loan from You. I do not deserve Your grace and blessings, however I am deeply thankful for it all. Please forgive me for all that I have taken for granted and please help me to remember that everything and everyone around me is Yours. Lord, I thank You for Your leaders which You have given to us, in Your world, Your country and most especially in Your church. Please continue to bless them all and grant them Your wisdom that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We thank You for Your soldiers, young and old, present and past and we pray that You please bless and protect them as well as Your families which You surround them with today and always. Father, You alone can heal us, no matter what ails us. Please grant You extraordinary healing, be it spiritual, emotional, physical or mental, to all those in need but especially to Lee, Pam, Jeff, Helen, Larry, George, Karen, Mark & Lynn, Gary, Tim, Jeff, Joy, Ward, and all those we each name to You now. God we know that Your will is perfect and therefore we ask that all these things be done according to Your wishes and not our own. We pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Have a blessed and awesome weekend and week ahead!!!
Love through Christ,
Niki