Psalm 113 - "Goodness of God"

I woke up this morning with "Goodness of God" going through my mind. God is so, so good! He is the best Daddy a person could ever have. I feel so blessed to be His daughter. Last evening Doug and I went out to the beach for a couple hours. It was so relaxing. He took a nap and I read a bit. We took a walk and people watched. Earlier in the day he took me for another trip to the DMV before we worked at the church. The DMV trip was mentally taxing and the church was physical work. I was so ready for some beach time and praised God for it. While there I had a phone call from a distraught church member and a text from another one. I thanked God for today's technology that keeps me connected even when away from home/office. We didn't get to see the sunset in it's glory due to the phone call but we still got to see a glimpse of it. Once again I thanked God for another blessing in the day. When we got home, I thanked God for leftovers to heat up before turning in for the night. This morning I thanked Him for eight hours of sleep. It seems like my body is still playing catch-up from all the trips to Ohio over the last few months. The emotional times can play havoc on my physical body. Every day I thank God for bringing Doug into my life at the perfect time. Before going to bed last night he was in the freezer getting out what he was going to make for us to eat today. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to have him in my life caring for me. I would have to say though being cared is just one aspect of my new life I enjoy. Our conversations about the Bible  and him praying over me are the best. Last night when we got our chairs set-up at the beach he grabbed my hands and prayed the most beautiful prayer thanking God for giving us a couple hours there to 'stop and smell the roses' which blessed me in abundance. I truly believe when we live a life of gratefulness we will receive more blessings. It does no one, including ourselves, any good to grumble and complain. When we look for things to be grateful for, we will realize God is in the midst of the 'good' and the 'bad' times in life. He is there for us at all time but sometimes we get in the way of Him being able to love us through 'tough' times. We become self-centered which takes away from Him. I am so thankful for the words to "Goodness of God" which remind me to stay focused on Him...

I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Some days are harder than others to get through yet praising Him is the best way to live. I miss my Momma so much. I miss the phone calls that included laughter and praying. When Doug and I were talking about the holidays last night, it hit me I no longer have Momma and her house to gather with my boys and their families. So, so many changes in life. Some are wonderful and others are hard to deal with. Thankfully God is with me every step of every day. He sends me reminders such as Psalm 113 to praise Him. This Psalm was one Jesus and His disciples probably sang on the night of Passover. The repetitiveness in this Psalm was the Hebrew way to emphasize things. In this instance the Psalmist was emphasizing God is worthy of continual praise. That means we need to praise Him in the 'good' and the 'bad' times in life. When we praise Him in this manner, we will soon realize nothing is greater than God. There is no hurt on this earth that cannot be soothed by God. There is no problem faced that God does not already have the solution. Woo hoo! This knowledge gives such freedom in life. It empowers us to not just get through the 'tough' days but to glorify Him through them.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for all Doug and I accomplished yesterday and for our time at the beach last evening! Thank You for the way You are going to go before us today with what we want to get accomplished! Father, I pray we will not miss any opportunity You have for us to be Your hands and feet. Cleanse us so You can fill us. May You be seen/heard through our words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray those going through 'tough' days will realize the freedom found in praising You. My sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Jack and Paula; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many dealing with ‘c’ and/or going through treatments…Audrey; Chrissy’s cousin; Shirley Jones; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; Mr Mullett; Marybeth's friend; David; and Damon. I pray for: Rebecca as she awaits surgery; Dan as he awaits biopsy results; Sue with the loss of her husband; the Long family; Becky; Russ; and a couple having marital issues. Thank You for continued healing for Pastor Tommy and Pam and for Dee's granddaughter! I pray special blessings of strength and peace over Leslie and her family. Thank You for being My Praise Maker! Amen.