Stand Up And Cheer

Psalm 86:12
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

The standing ovation stopped the game.

On Sunday, Maggie and I attended the last home game of the Cincinnati Reds. Tim worked as an usher, and we met some of the regulars in his section. The Reds have had a good season and have been fun to watch. They've added new players to the roster and have one outstanding player who has hung with the Reds for seventeen years.

When Joey Votto appeared on the field for his first at bat, the crowd rose to their feet, clapped, cheered, and may have cried a little. This player has been with the Reds his entire major league career. At the end of this season, his contract is finished. As fans, we don't know if he will return, so our response was to show appreciation for all he has done for the team. When all the fans rose to their feet and applauded, the energy shook the atmosphere. It was fun to be a part of his recognition and to see the humbleness of this faithful player.

I wonder what it would have been like for Jesus if people had reacted to Him that way. If those closest to Him and those who met Him realized He was the Son of God, would they have loved Him more, or praised Him as one worthy of praise? From the scripture, it appears Jesus' humbleness would have stopped any outcry or ovation, but no one is more deserving.

The times I think about what Jesus has done for me, how He has carried my burdens and sin on His shoulders, I thank Him and praise Him. Do I do this often enough? Probably not. Praise doesn't have to wait for a Sunday church service.

 Praise the One who gave His life for yours—every day. He deserves the glory.

Praise God!

The Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, but I want to keep 

a grateful heart and honor God as we roll into the Christmas season.

His name is glorious. His love is exceptional. His name deserves praise!

 

Give Thanks and Praise

For the Lord is good!

Thank you Lord, for your love and grace.

Thank you for your Son and for the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for the hope we have in heaven.

For the Lord is good!

 

Hope in the Dark

Jesus' light shines

—hope.

 

When night falls

—pray.

 

In the morning

 —praise.

 

The rest of the day

—love.

 

Share the good news of Jesus.

 

If the Birds

God created birds to sing—

I love to hear the birds sing in the morning,

What a glorious song they sing.

If the birds can sing praises to God—so will I.

 

Praise and Pray

Psalm 145:3-5

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
    they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

Perhaps winter is a time of meditation, spring a time of praise.

I find the change of seasons remarkable. Snow, rain, sunshine, chill all contribute to the nature God has created. For the past few weeks I’ve enjoyed the daffodils, tulips and hyacinth in my tiny garden. One morning, I observed the yellow and white daffodils bowing their heads. In the same plot of soil, the tulips raised their leaves to the sky. It struck me—both stood in a posture of praise and prayer.

In the winter, I tend to bow down and meditate on God’s word. The quiet, sometimes snow-kissed earth allows me to snuggle into my favorite chair and focus on Jesus. But in the spring, I want to shout with the sunshine that Jesus is Lord. Maybe because we celebrate Easter, I raise my hands to God and praise out loud. For whatever reason, spring is a time to celebrate our Lord and Savior.

In observing the flowers, no matter whether I raise my hands like the tulip or bow my head like the daffodil, I am in a posture of praise and prayer. It doesn’t matter how I praise and pray as much as when. And when is every day. I thank God for the beauty of the earth and the people in my life. I don’t need much, yet God has provided abundantly.

As the psalmist says, God is so great and worthy of praise, I can’t even fathom his greatness.

Praise and pray thanksgiving to God the Father, when you bow down and when you rise up.

Praise and Prayer

One morning while the raindrops dotted the flowers, I snapped this photo.

I noticed the daffodil bowed it's head, and the tulip raised toward heaven.

Both were in a posture to praise God. 

The flowers reminded me to check my stance.

Am I prepared to pray in every situation? 

Am I praising God for his mercy and grace?

Praise and prayer go hand in hand.

Raised up or bent down-

Praise God!

 

The Breath We Breathe

Isaiah 55:10-11

As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

I love trees in every season; budding leaves, full shade, riots of color, and bare branches.

A magnificent maple tree stood, like a guard, by the end of our gravel driveway. That tree provided shelter for me as I waited on the school bus. In the summer, I'd play in the welcoming shade. No matter the season, the maple spread its massive branches overhead.

I remember looking up through the limbs at the gorgeous red and gold leaves as they danced in the sky. For a child, that was pure magic.

According to Botanical Gardens Conservation International there are more than 60,000 species of trees in the world. God created every one of them with purpose. In the spring, flowering trees like dogwood and redbud spread across the Appalachian Mountains. In summer and fall folks harvest fruit from apple, pear, banana, and coconut trees, to name a few. In winter, the evergreens provide shelter for cardinals and all their friends.

Most important, trees give us oxygen; the very breath we breath. They soak in the rain with their roots and reach toward the sky to the sun, in order to share their gift with us.

These beauties remind me to bury my roots deep in God's word. The Lord provides all the nourishment I need, through the scripture, his people, and his grace. As the oaks and palms do, I reach toward heaven, through prayer and praise to God's son, Jesus, then take a deep breath and inhale his love.

God gave every tree a purpose. If he cares that much about the forests, just think how much he loves us.

2020

2020

A fresh day.

An uncharted month.

A pristine year.

An untouched decade.

                             Pray.

                             Read.

                             Dream.

                                  Play.

                                  Listen.

                                  Observe.

                                           Love.

                                           Enjoy.

                                           Praise.

                                                 An untouched decade.

                                                 A pristine year.

                                                 An uncharted month.

                                                 A fresh day.

                                                 2020

So Will I

Psalm 96:11-13

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Autumn, like spring, reminds me that nature calls to those who enjoy the beauty of the earth. This week I was privileged to hang out with grandkids on two different field trips. Two of my grandsons, both in fourth grade, went to a nature center in southwest Ohio. The instructors led them through activities focused on fossils. We hiked to a creek and searched for rocks with impressions left, from years ago. The kids learned about erosion and discovered crawdads and plant life in the water. We went home dirty, tired and happy to have been outside all day. The next day I joined my granddaughter, along with her mommy and daddy, on the preschool trip to the pumpkin farm. She played on the straw castle, we rode on a hayride and picked out pumpkins.

All this outdoor time speaks to my heart about the joy I find in God's creation.

When I am out tromping in the woods or walking in a pumpkin patch, I am amazed once again at all that God gifted us with. I stroll out my door to be greeted by zinnias and maple trees. We ambled by a field yesterday, and heard the killdeer's call and the cardinal's song. In the woods, a deer might peek out or a squirrel scamper. Even as I write these words, I feel excited about not just the beauty of the earth, but the resources. Our Father provides for us and all he asks is for us to be faithful. He hopes his children will join him in taking care of the gifts he's given and use them to his glory.

I've been called a tree-hugger before. That's not really accurate. I'm just somebody who appreciates the natural gifts God supplies. I'm thankful for all he provides and want to do what I can in my little corner of the world, to show appreciation. I thank God for all He gives.

This song says what I feel!

Raise a Hallelujah!

From Pain to Praise

Psalm 30:11-12

You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

For the last couple of years I was employed, I carried a lot of stress. My health failed me. Pain increased as my knee cartilage disappeared. I limped and ached. The environment at work changed. We were under constant construction, updating toward a better place. But the noise and chaos troubled me. Changes in staffing and increase in responsibility took a toll. As my physical pain increased, my joy evaporated. I may not have wailed, but I cried and complained. Yet all along, God had a plan.

Last November, the surgeon replaced my old, broken-down knee with a brand new, shiny one. In May, I retired. Since then, joy has replaced my sorrow and pain. Although I still can't dance (I couldn't before, either) I rejoice and praise God for meeting my needs. He knew my future before I did. Many circumstances in life bring sorrow, crying, and pain. God takes those situations, guides us through and gives hope. Now as I look back on the many months I struggled, I see where my Father held me up and helped me, literally, put one foot in front of the other. He carried me through those last days on the job and has given me tools to help others.

I praise God for walking with me every day.

God's plan for your life, far exceed the circumstances of your day. -Louie Giglio

The Heart of the Matter

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

I rummaged through my closet trying to find the best outfit to wear to the Mercy Me concert. Everything I pulled out either looked like work clothes or casual Saturday (different from casual Friday, much more relaxed—maybe even sloppy.) Frustrated, I tried again. I'd decided jeans would be good, but felt discouraged with my choice in shirts. My good friend Bev and I had planned this evening for months, and I wanted to look nice. I finally narrowed it down to two possibilities, then went on with my day.

Coffee in hand, I opened my Bible to the daily reading. As I perused the verses, my foray through my closet seemed pathetic. Here I was preparing what to wear to the concert. When what I should have been doing was preparing my heart to worship and praise God.

As Samuel searched for a future king to replace himself, God reminded him not to look at the outward appearance, instead look at the man's heart. David, who Samuel would later choose to follow him as king, was a man of small stature. Even though he was considered handsome, God wanted to know what was inside, not outside. God looks at the heart, the organ that pumps life into our souls. After I bowed my head and had a heart-to-heart with God, I knew I was ready to receive his blessing and give him glory at the concert. I pray that my heart is ready to worship the Lord every day.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

Raise a Hallelujah!

Psalm 150
Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

The other day, two of my granddaughters rode in the Jeep with me. From the back seat, I heard Ella Cate's sweet four-year-old voice. "Grammy Penny, can we listen to music. You know that's what I like to do in the car, is listen to music." I turned on the radio as we drove a short distance to a restaurant. When the song that played ended, she requested a song we both love called "My Lighthouse." We didn't have time to plug that one in, but we'd sung it together before. I promised the next time she's in the Jeep we'd play her favorite. What a joy to know that my grandchildren enjoy music, especially when the songs praise God.

Exposing children to positive, uplifting music gives them another tool to help them navigate this crazy world.

In Psalm 150, the author encourages us to praise God with everything from a tambourine to cymbals. In Hebrew the term "Hallelujah" means praise the Lord. When life goes great—praise the Lord, when life stinks—praise the Lord. Sing hallelujah to the author of life, the Savior of souls, the One who gives grace. No matter what life throws at us, we can find comfort in the music that praises God. Maybe a psalm, traditional hymn, or contemporary chorus. God has gifted some with the ability to write, sing and perform music. He's gifted all believers to take those songs and lift them to him as offerings of praise.

Let's raise a hallelujah to the King of Kings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sing Thanksgiving!

God's Own Hands

Isaiah 44:23
Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.

I never get tired of experiencing God's amazing creation. On our trip to Maine this week, we spent a day in the rural area between Portland and New Harbor. We journeyed up the coast across parts of the Casco Bay. Trees lined the roadways; not just fence lines of scrubs or a spruce here and an oak there. Instead we passed by forested areas grown by God's own hands. I couldn't help but wonder what animals roamed the woods. Maybe a bear or a moose. But those were left to my imagination. Other areas we crossed were covered by wetlands and waterways. Everywhere we looked, beauty sang a song of glory to the Creator.

As I prepare to leave the great state of Maine, I thank the Lord for the experience to visit another area of the world. No matter how large or small the geographical areas in my life are, I know God's hands formed everything. From the sandy beaches to the evergreen trees to the call of the sea gulls, I witnessed the glory of God by his presence in this amazing environment. I love his incredible imagination and wisdom.

Shout to Him with joy, for He is good!

Do you connect to God through nature?  

Give Thanks!

The Forest Sings

Psalm 96:11-13
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

When the leaves begin to turn and the temperatures cool, my heart sings. On our walks with the dogs, I've noticed the rich shades of purple and gold in the weeds along the ditches and woods. But nothing beats the beauty of the reds, oranges, and yellows I look forward to in the fall. The trees cycle through their process. Chlorophyll breaks down and pigments mix in and create the abundance of color. As autumn progresses the leaves tumble to the ground and carpet our walking paths. Trees are a fascinating part of God's creation. They provide shade, wood for furniture and paper, sap for maple syrup, and limbs for climbing.

As I walk in the woods I am amazed by the tall oaks and maples. The beautiful dogwood brings me joy. As much as I love the science of trees, I'm more fascinated with the Bible verses that talk about the forest singing for joy. 1 Chronicles 16:33, Isaiah 44:23, and Psalm 96:12 all talk about the trees giving praise to their creator. And I'm sure in their own way they do. The splendor of fall has to bring joy to God. He made them and they're showing off their beauty just for him.

If the trees can stand tall and rejoice to the Lord. Shouldn't I? Life gets tough. Days are hard. Weeks seem long sometimes. But even in discouragement, I want to praise God. He made me. He takes care of me. He loves me. Praise and joy to the one who created the forest!

Happy Thanksgiving!