Thankful Thursday #17

This Thankful Thursday I will sing a song of praise unto the Lord. (Perhaps I have been reading too many psalms lately; however, the direction my thoughts are taking this morning following a short period of contemplation -- always wish it could be longer -- is in the direction of a number of the psalms that thank God for His bounty, kindness, protection, and love.

1. I will sing a song of praise unto the Lord that I have a bed to sleep in, one that is hard to give rest to my broken-in-1980 back and a small layer of tempurpedic foam that cradles the rest of my body just right so that my entire body can sleep peacefully and soundly. I thank Him for the His open arms each night that let me fall asleep in Him and with Him, dreaming only the pleasantest of dreams. I will ask Him to help all others learn to rest in Him. I will continue to gather and give whatever I can for those who have no such bed and to praise for those who do not know that they can have such arms around them.

2. I will sing a song of praise to the Lord that when I awake, after a short period of contemplation -- wish it could be longer -- I have a body, even though physically broken 30 years ago -- that allows me to do any physical activity, including morning gymnastics that I need to do -- and should do more often than I actually do -- to stay in shape. I will thank God for taking care of my body when I forget to do so -- which is far too often. I will ask Him to remind me to take better care of this physical body which in truth is His, not mine. I will make the effort to remember that I owe Him the effort to exercise and eat properly.

3.I will sing a song of praise to the Lord for hot water, soap, and a shower, even a bath included, that I can clean up before going to work. I will thank Him that I live in a country where utilities are mostly routinely available, and I will continue to ask Him to help those in third-world countries, especially those in places like Afghanistan, torn apart by war that makes even their naturally impoverished and undeveloped conditions more so. I will gather and send -- and where possible, take -- supplies and help to the people of these areas.

4. I will sing a song of praise to the Lord for my breakfast of cereal and milk, all I dare to eat in the morning and maintain a healthy weight. I will thank the Lord that I do have cereal and milk and, were I to desire it, a more lavish banquet. I will ask the Lord to provide food -- and prompt others to provide food -- for those without, especially during the holiday season but also during those other seasons where people do not remember them as easily. I will continue to blog about their needs on my Hungry and Homeless blog, and I will continue to help agencies and churches that give to them, as well as using God's credit card to help them whenever they appear in front of me.

5. I will sing a song of praise to the Lord for the clothes that I will put on every day after shower and breakfast, good clothes that I can wear to work without embarrassment even though I refuse to spend money on anything designer or expensive for that money would better serve the Lord by being used to help those who can afford no clothes at all. I will ask the Lord to put those in front of me and thank Him for His credit card that allows me to help them regardless of what is in my pocket book at the moment. I will continue to help each one that He sends.

6. I will sing a song of praise to the Lord for my work, where I am about to head. I will thank Him that I have a job when so many others do not and that I have wonderful, collaborative, loving, and bonded employees for the most part. I will ask Him to guide me daily in how I serve these employees as their supervisor. I will continue to bring God, God's influence, and God's love into the workplace -- without giving preference to any religion (my workplace is full of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, along with some other forms of worshiping God) and into all that I do and in that help those who already belong to Him and perhaps by example lead those who do not yet know they belong to Him back to the fold in a way similar to the one in which He brought me back home.

7. I will sing a song of praise for this day that the Lord has made. I will thank Him for whatever weather He sends our way -- every season has its beauty. I will ask Him to spend every minute of this day with me, and then I will ask Him to spend every minute of this day with you. I will enjoy what He has given me, no matter what shape it takes.

Blessings to you this Thankful Thursday!


More information about one of the Thankful Thursday memes can be found at the website of Women Taking a Stand. This meme host is shared with other blogs so you will need to check to see which one is hosting any given month. This month the host is Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

Link up with Greg's and Daryl's Thankful Thursday at Greg's General Store.