"Make a joyful shout to the Lord all ye lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing."
(Psalm 100:2)
Lately I have found myself coming into the presence
of the Lord with singing.
I was not gifted (as some) with the ability to sing,
but within my heart there sings a melody.
I have always loved singing to the Lord
and making a joyful noise ~
But these past few weeks it has been the desire
of my heart to sing unto the Lord rather than speak
the words of my heart during my quiet time of worship.
With this different way of meeting with my Savior,
I have found a greater sense of thankfulness
that is overflowing from within my heart.
There is a nearness to my God that seems to wrap
an awareness of His gentle love around me.
God's presence is real..."I am the sheep of His pasture,
and His love and mercy is everlasting."
That is praiseworthy!
"Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."
(Psalm 100:4)
Oh... that is the sincerest desire of my heart.
A heart of thanksgiving certainly draws one closer to God, doesn't it?
We have so much to be thankful for,
and the Psalms are a beautiful expression
of overflowing thankfulness to God.
This time of year and every day of the year
should bring us to the place of allowing the Spirit
of God to cultivate in us a heart of praise
and thanksgiving for all that He has done.
Psalm 103 is another great Psalm of Praise.
In verses 20-22 even the heavens and the earth
sing His praises because of the good things that he has done.
We should do no less.
**~~**
I would encourage you to;
"Bless the Lord O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits."
(Psalm 103:2)
Our praise journals should be overflowing as we call to mind
the great things He has worked on our behalf.
Praise His Holy Name!
**~~**
Today I am reminded of God's grace, mercy, love
and goodness in all things, yes, in all things.
On November 25th we, as a family would celebrate
my dear and precious dads birthday.
He would have been 79 years old today.
Our Thanksgiving celebrations
were many times centered around his birthday
as it often fell on Thanksgiving day.
This year we as a family will experience our 1st
with out his presence.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!
Through the tears of heartache as we miss this great man
we can still sing praises from our hearts
with a grateful spirit because of God's goodness.
As I was reading Psalm 103 and giving praise
to my Holy God for His many benefits,
I was struck with a greater sense of gratitude for where
my dad will be spending his birthday this year,
in the presence of God.
O bless His name!
**~~**
You see...God "heals all our diseases." (Verse 3b)
God is the ultimate healer of our illnesses.
While here on this earth dad lived with Polio
from the age of two and a half,
a disease that crippled him and brought decay.
In his later years heart disease over took him,
to the point of ending his life.
In May of this year God called my dad home,
and according to the first part of verse 3 in Psalm 103
it is the foundation for my praise.
"Who forgives all your iniquities."
At the cross our greatest problem was dealt with
by God Himself, our sin problem.
My dad is celebrating his salvation through Christ
in the presence of his Holy and Righteous Savior,
as redeemed and healed both from his earthly diseases
and his spiritual disease.
God was faithful and forgave dads iniquities
when dad called upon the Lord for his salvation.
"For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:13)
That is what I celebrate today!
With a heart full of praise (and tears as I miss dad)
I will sing out to the Lord with a heart of gratitude
because I know dad is with his Savior celebrating
with a new and healed body.
That puts joy in my heart,
where in this world we endure much heartache.
"O give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord."
(Psalm 105:1-3)
Amen
Let this be our prayer
Be Thankful
37 comments:
What a beautiful tribute to your dad, Debbie. My heart is so heavy for you and your family....
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, friend. Blessings
What a beautiful post, Stephanie! Your dad is celebrating in heaven and some day you and your mom will be celebrating with him. I know it warms the Lord's heart when you sing to Him. Have a blessed day and my thoughts and prayers to you and your lovely mom.
Debbie, I'm so sorry! I read the post and thought it was Stephanie who wrote it! I guess I need to be sure I am fully awake when I visit my friends! Anyway, I wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving. Perhaps the next time you post, I'll actually have my eyes open! :)
This was so beautiful Debbie! A wonderful tribute to your earthly Dad and your heavenly Father, our Great God Almighty, Jesus.
Knowing my dear husband is with Jesus gives me joy and peace even though I miss him daily.
May you and your family have a lovely holiday together praising God for His many blessings.
FlowerLady
Dear Debbie, what a beautiful and touching post for Thanksgiving. I know it is bittersweet as you remember your dad and his birthday celebrated with Thanksgiving. This year, your dad celebrates his special day with our Lord. I know the many firsts can be difficult but through it all God gives us the courage and strength to carry on in the memory of our loved one. Your tribute to your dad is heartfelt and I know he is so proud of you.
Wishing you a lovely Thanksgiving filled with many blessings.
Love and Prayers, xo
What a beautiful post in honor of Thanksgiving and your precious Dad. I know you and your family will miss him dearly on this first Thnksgiving without him. But, how wonderful to be able to celebrate that he is with his heavenly father smiling down on each of you. I pray your family has a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving. I'm sure you all will enjoy sharing many special memories of your Dad on this special day.
Love and Hugs, Vicky
As always, Debbie, you leave me with my heart full, a few tears in my eyes and a new appreciation for God and life - thank you!
I was over at Stephanie's blog leaving a message to her to give you a hug for Thanksgiving and then decided I would pop over here for a minute and was so happy to see a new post!
I've missed you, friend. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I know this one will be tough but oh my, such kindness and gentleness I see in your father's eyes. You must be so proud! Take good care. xoxo
Dearest Debbie,
I just sent your beautiful daughter, Stephanie, an e-mail the other day to let her know that I am thinking of you. I missed your presence, but please know that my heart goes out to you and your family. This is such a lovely tribute to your dad.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Stephanie and the rest of your family. God bless you, my cherished friend. Sending you much love and many hugs.
What a beautiful post, full of thanksgiving and a witness that "even in the valley, God is good!" Such wonderful memories you have to rejoice in this Thanksgiving and even though your dad is missing at your table, he is feasting in the presence of His wonderful Lord and Saviour. Hugs.
Hello, my precious friend, Debbie! Your daddy surely is looking down on you with admiration on this bittersweet day. How can you not be sad that he is not physically able to be a part of the birthday/Thanksgiving festivities? But how can you NOT be happy and praising the Lord that he is also home and whole with the Saviour?? I understand perfectly what it's like when we lose a dear one... especially on birthdays and holidays. But you are so right to be thankful in ALL things because out Lord is always there for us, giving us exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ever imagine! Hugs to you today, Debbie and may your family have a blessed Thanksgiving as you celebrate your father's life! Much love to you!!
Oh Debbie, I'm sure your earthly and Heavenly Fathers are both smiling down on you. This is a beautiful post honoring both of them.
I, too, am thankful for a loving and forgiving God.
Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and your lovely family tomorrow.
"Praise and thanksgiving" - the two highest forms of prayer, I was always taught. However, I think I join many of us in specializing in "petition!"
Your dear, sweet dad. I understand. My mother passed away on 11-28 in 2008. I have the same feelings you do associated with this time of year.
May the joy that you brought him in life bring you comfort this year!
Oh Debbie, what a loving post on your dear Dad's birthday. I can imagine that he's having the most wondrous celebration today, and everyday, for that matter. I know you miss him terribly, but what a kind, loving man he was, as I can tell by his picture. Thank you for your wonderful tribute and your sharing of scripture with us.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, sweet friend. Love, hugs , and blessings are sent to you. I'm here with my dear mom, in Ohio, to cook her Thanksgiving dinner and be with her.
Oh Debbie, Such sweet and precious words celebrating the life of your daddy! I know your heart aches to see him again and many tears will be shed today and tomorrow. I pray the Lord's continued presence in your life brings comfort and healing as you walk through your grief. Love and hugs, my friend!!!
Praying for you as you prepare to experience one of the many first's without your loved one on Earth - always an emotional time. Your post was lovely. Praise is a powerful (and I believe all our voices sound sweet to Him who loves us)tool and changes my heart in profound ways. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Bless you Debbie, as you praise the Lord with heartache for your Dad. Such a bittersweet day for you. Many blessings to you and your family tomorrow as you remember him and celebrate where he is now!
Debbie, my heart reaches out to you and I will send a prayer for you and your family tonight. {{HUGS}}
Such a sweet tribute to your wonderful father. Nov. 25 was my dad's bdy too - he would be 93 today. Sending love and prayers to you and your family on this Thanksgiving holiday.
Dearest Debbie, this post gave me goosebumps. Beautifully written, and such a lovely tribute to your darling Dad. I have lost both my parents and my lovely father-in-law in the last decade, so I feel your pain. You know though, that so long as you carry your Dad in your heart, he is with you. No-one is ever really 'gone'. His blood runs through your veins, and in your footsteps, he lives on. Have a blessed Thanksgiving dear one. We are fortunate as we will celebrate our very first Thanksgiving here in Australia, with some dear American friends. We are so excited. Love, Mimi xxx
Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend with your family Debbie, knowing your father is happy in heaven with his saviour - and celebrating too :)
Diana
Oh, dear friend! I am in tears! Your precious Dad! I know this will be a very difficult "first" for you...that first year is the hardest. In June of this year, it made 15 years since my precious Daddy got his call to Heaven, and it has now been 3 1/2 years since my dear Mom left us for that Heavenly home. Life is very different when our loved ones leave us, but what a blessed hope we have...it is an anchor to our soul! One day, we will all be gathered together at Jesus' feet, never to say good-bye again! Won't it be wonderful there? Having no burdens to bear! I trust God will comfort your dear heart during your family gathering...and always. His absence will seem so hard to bear, and I know it will be so hard on your dear Mom, too. May Jesus hold you all extra close tomorrow....I am praying for you and sending you lots of love.
What a precious blessing to know that your Dad is with the Lord. How good HE is to us as His children!! I am sorry for your earthly loss, but, how wonderful it is to fill our minds with the truth and reality of heaven. I am glad you are still remembering him on his birthday. Those special days are tricky to navigate when the one we love is not physically with us here. Hugs to you! Camille
Oh Debbie, so good to read your words again! I was thinking of you today as I went about my Thanksgiving preparations, and I remember you. So good to find you sharing once again... mari
A beautiful Thanksgiving post and wonderful tribute to your Father, Debbie! I so vividly remember the first holiday celebrations when we lost our Father, we kept his chair at the head of the table for a long while! He was such a great family man, and inspiration to us all! I so relate to your loss as well as your joy in knowing of complete healing and being in the presence of our Lord and Savior!
Wishing you and your family a most blessed Thanksgiving!
Sue
A poignant and beautiful post and tribute to your father dear Debbie. I pray you have a very special Thanksgiving in remembrance of the many happy years with your earthly Father. Hugs. xx
Hello Debbie,
This is a beautiful post of praise and thanksgiving.
I am sorry about you losing you dad. Isn't it wonderful that we know we will see our loved ones in heaven someday?
I lost my sister July 1st this year. I nearly cry every time I think of her, and I think of her often. I don't cry for her because I know that she is where she has always longed to be. I cry because I miss her so badly. She loved me like a mother. Thankfully I DO still have my mother.
You have a beautiful blog. I have some of those lovely white and blue dishes that on the left side of you have on your blog header.
Have a wonderful Friday,
:) Hope
Dear Debbie what a tribute to honor the memory of your father! Our Pastor just encouraged last Sunday to read in the Psalms every day! What a fitting post to remind me to do so. Have a blessed weekend to the start of the most wonderful time of the year!
I feel so fortunate and blessed for having met you on my Path, thank you for following my blog and for the touching comment you've left, which truly moved me so much !
Have a most beautiful day
sending dear love and hugs
Daniela
such a heart warming post, sing on sweet friend. I love you
Another beautiful post and so uplifting. I am not really in the spirit of Christmas this year. I lost a long time friend of mine this year, and I never realized how important she was in my life, until she is no longer here. Plus, we have been slammed with home repairs that were so unexpected, yet cannot be put off...thus there goes our Christmas money. I have four grandchildren, two children, and a couple of nieces and nephews that I have to get gifts. I know God will supply my needs, but things look pretty bleak right now. I do sing His praises, in spite of my problems, and I will remain faithful to Him, because He is faithful to His promises.
You have a beautiful gift with words and I thank you for them. Your posts are so heartfelt. I enjoy visiting your blog, ginny
Dear Debbie,
With heart-felt saddness and symphany I know you miss your father. It takes many many years to ever get used to them gone during the holidays most especially. My own dear father died in Feb of 2000, and my mother has been gone for over 20 years! They both were taken so young. And not a day goes by where they aren't thought of and prayed for.
I shall do the same for your sweet dear lost loved one.
On a more mundane blog note- I had to re-sign up to follow your blog, not sure why they fall off sometimes, so strange, anyway, I am back following - and sorry I missed this when you first posted it. Hugs and love to you. ♥
Oh, precious Debbie! What a beautiful post that I am just now reading. Today is the day my daddy's went to be the his Savior Jesus sixteen years ago...but it doesn't seem like that long ago. I still miss him terribly, and I am comforted in knowing that from the time his heart stopped, he was face to face with Jesus...completely healed and with an even bigger smile on his face that ever at seeing Jesus! Yes, it's still a very, very tender time with no less than a year. So I praise God for the comfort of knowing that your daddy is with mine in heaven - no tears or sorrows. They are only ours because we are still here. And I agree about singing in our devotional time and cherish that beginning passage in Psalm 103. It's one of my favorites! Sending you tenderest hugs and much love as you continue to grieve dad's loss and remember him and cherish memories fondly!
thank you so very much for the encouraging words you always leave on my blog, love and appreciate you. you are the one that is a beautiful representive of Jesus. enjoy your journal.
Hi Debbie, Stopping back by tonight to thank you for your sweet visit and kind comments. It is always a blessing to see you my friend. Enjoy this first week of December and Merry Christmas to you as you enjoy decorating!
Hugs and Blessings, xo
What a touching post, Debbie, I was in tears, we both miss our dads so much.
But our Lord is so gracious, indeed I love this Psalm 100 too.
Praise the Lord !
Many hugs
Hello Debbie, my name is Karen. (AKA Roosterhead Designs in blogland: ) I saw your comment @ Celeste's blog and something, ('Someone' said ;) go take a peek! What a beautiful and refreshing post you have shared here. I'm encourage in the Lord! I saw some similarities in situation; but it was my husband who passed away (Oct of 14)- and his birthday is November 25th. We too, often celebrated his birthday on Thanksgiving. We were married 35+years~
Thank you for encouraging me in the Lord; you really blessed my day!
Peace of God to you Debbie, Karen O
Debbie, Thank you for following along at http://debi-echoofmyheart.blogspot.com/ I am always thrilled when someone new stops by!
I see we have more than our name in common and we both love God and family. I too have the gift of mercy, and therefore feel deeply for others. I just recently stepped down from our Women's Ministry Team where I served for 6 years. I wanted to spend more time in Bible studies, which I could do 24 hours a day if life allowed :-)
Look forward to being a new follower of your blog!
Wishing you God's best,
Hugs!
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