I sometimes think "New Age" Spirituality likes to believe it is "new", yet, it often says the same message I find within Scripture. Life - Love - One - Universe....it is all the God of our Holy Bible!
This weekend, we in the United States will be celebrating "freedom", yet, true freedom is found within God.I discovered a video that reiterates this in another way. I Am Grateful video...
We will be having a semi-patriotic service during worship later this morning. I always struggle with how to handle national holidays in the context of worship. But this year, while at the Big Tent Event, I was blessed with an idea!
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica saying, We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ....Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 5:16-19)
I thought about our Declaration of Independence and how we are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Yet, Paul said to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit and in "my" mind that sounds different than pursuing happiness.
Think about it....
Have you ever been able to "catch" happiness?
Thinking about this, and have come to the conclusion that I can choose to live from an attitude of gratefulness, and when I do, then happiness, love, joy, peace...will pursue me.
It goes back to some of the thoughts and insights I journaled from The Cup of Life and A Tree Full of Angels. It is being aware and paying attention. Later this morning I will ask the congregation, "To thank God for allowing me to be alive." We will move on to silently thank God for our friends and our family, our homes, food on our table...
Remember reading about Maslow's hierarchy of needs? We all have needs, to be alive is to have needs, yet, living in the Western World, I already have far more of my needs satisfied than a huge majority of the rest of the world. So, what gets in my way?
Going back to Paul's letter to the Thessalonians he first thanked God for the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica and then at the end of his letter he said, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit."
When I choose to view the world through my PURSUIT of happiness, I am quenching the Spirit within me that wants only for me to experience happiness. Pursuing happiness is getting all that "I" believe will make me happy. Yet, when I rejoice always...give thanks in all circumstances... Then, happiness will pursue me. When I live from an attitude of gratitude, regardless of my circumstances, happiness will pursue me and I will rejoice always!
Doesn't that sound great!
Do I have an "AMEN!"
Lord, forgive me for my grumbling, my worries, and my fears. Help me to open my heart to Spirit so that through the power of your Spirit, I will live from an attitude of gratitude and I will know happiness! AMEN.
Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman
Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessd beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace ...
But, Jesus, would You please ...
This weekend, we in the United States will be celebrating "freedom", yet, true freedom is found within God.I discovered a video that reiterates this in another way. I Am Grateful video...
 |
| A wordle of GRATITUDE. |
We will be having a semi-patriotic service during worship later this morning. I always struggle with how to handle national holidays in the context of worship. But this year, while at the Big Tent Event, I was blessed with an idea!
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica saying, We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ....Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 5:16-19)I thought about our Declaration of Independence and how we are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Yet, Paul said to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit and in "my" mind that sounds different than pursuing happiness.Think about it....
Have you ever been able to "catch" happiness?
It goes back to some of the thoughts and insights I journaled from The Cup of Life and A Tree Full of Angels. It is being aware and paying attention. Later this morning I will ask the congregation, "To thank God for allowing me to be alive." We will move on to silently thank God for our friends and our family, our homes, food on our table...
Going back to Paul's letter to the Thessalonians he first thanked God for the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica and then at the end of his letter he said, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit."
When I choose to view the world through my PURSUIT of happiness, I am quenching the Spirit within me that wants only for me to experience happiness. Pursuing happiness is getting all that "I" believe will make me happy. Yet, when I rejoice always...give thanks in all circumstances... Then, happiness will pursue me. When I live from an attitude of gratitude, regardless of my circumstances, happiness will pursue me and I will rejoice always!Doesn't that sound great!
Do I have an "AMEN!"
Lord, forgive me for my grumbling, my worries, and my fears. Help me to open my heart to Spirit so that through the power of your Spirit, I will live from an attitude of gratitude and I will know happiness! AMEN.
Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman
Send some rain, would You send some rain?'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case ...
We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessd beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace ...
But, Jesus, would You please ...
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