November 15, 2008

Psalms 145:7- "They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness"

Sometimes it is good for us to look back over our lives in the past days, weeks, months and even years and remember how the Lord has worked and to remember how much He deserves our praise. I've listed a couple of things that I am thankful for and feel free to comment and list a couple of things that you're grateful for as well.

I'm thankful for-

1. Christian camps- God has used camp in my life in a great way. Without them I know for certain that I wouldn't be enjoying the blessings of my relationship with Him. Both the Wilds and Servants Heart camps have been God's way of getting a hold of my heart.

2. Changing Seasons- Maybe I'm being overly dramatic but can you seriously imagine what life would be like if it was always winter around here? I could go for a little more Fall, but even so, after a while I think it would grow rather old. Or even worse...can you imagine if everything was brown and white? Even the changing seasons shows God's creativity and care for us.

3. Answered Prayers- Its so neat to see God answer a specific prayer and know that He has heard your special cry. Sometimes it can be something as small as trying to find your glasses (the hardest thing to find is your glasses, without your glasses! ;) or to something as major as allowing my sister, Renee, and her husband, Jon, to have children. God doesn't always nescesarily answer the way we wanted but He still answers each request with our best interest at heart.

4. God's Forgiveness- Over and over and over I fail God and yet He never tires of trying to draw me back to Himself and to show me that His grace is sufficient. He died on the cross, knowing full well that I'd continue to fall. His mercy is amazing. Psalms 145:14- "The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down."

5. The Bible- Specifically I'm thankful for Romans and Psalms. Two books which have been a huge encouragement to me. (Romans- because Paul asks the most basic questions and then proceeds to give the answer. Psalms- because David shares his struggles and then continues on to turn the focus to God.)

6. Free Salvation- "Complete in Thee, NO work of mine, can take dear Lord, the place of Thine. Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and I shall stand complete in Thee!"

7- The Promise that Someday He's Coming Back for Me!- The more that I learn about God, and the more that I struggle with this flesh and the more that I see the sin and death of this world, the more I understand the words to that song "This world is not my Home, I'm just a passing through!" I can't wait for the day when I'll get to see Him face to face, put my arms around Him and tell Him in person how grateful I am for His love.


Psalms 145:2-"Every day will I bless Thee and I will praise Thy name forever and ever"

Chrystal
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5 comments:

Sigma said...

well I like your list. I think that most of those would be on my list too but you forgot family thats a big one on my list. well
Its good to get ready for
thanksgiving by rembering the giver of everything.

November 15, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Sigma said...

oh yeah...this is jake...

November 16, 2008 at 2:26 PM
Sigma said...

1. Like Chrystal I am thankful for the many people God has given us who are willing to spend their lives in the camp ministry. God changed my life at camp and has taught me so much in my years at camp. I also am thankful for the many, many prayers that God has answered. Can you imagine a life praying to a god who doesn't answer you?

2. I am also so thankful for the beauty of this earth and everything that God has placed in it for us. He didn't have to give us flowers, dogs , or cats, but He did. Often when walking around campus in between classes I'll find myself thanking God for the weather and the beautiful day and even just for allowing me some time to walk outside.

3. I am sure that you have all heard me say this before, but I am thankful for my mom. God didn't have to give me a second mom, but He did and she has become a best friend to me! So many do not even have one mom who loves them and
takes good care of them, but God has allowed me have two. This may sound weird, but He even gave me the experience of losing a mother so that I could appreciate both my first mom and my second better.

4. After being at college for three months I have definitely learned to appreciate my family much more! God has been so good to me. I have two parents who love the Lord and have been doing all they can to push me closer to the
Lord. They have supported me with prayer in all my decisions and they have given me so many memories. I am also thankful for the two brothers that God has given me! I definitely took them both for granted before college, but now looking back I'm realizing how much the Lord taught me through them. God is so good and puts each person in the family that is perfect for them.

5. I think that most of all though I am thankful for God's salvation and His continual forgiveness of my sins. Christ didn't have to die on the cross and He doesn't have to stand before God on my behalf right now, but He does anyways. It
is an amazing thought that even though God had to forsake His own son, He has never and will never forsake me. Chrystal I say amen to looking forward to heaven! I can't wait to see the face of the One who died so willingly for me. We
will finally be free from the bonds of sin and me wholly clean, pure, and spotless before our King. I can't help but think of the phrase, "Behold Him there! The risen Lamb!..." I don't have time to type out the whole thing now,
but please look up the last verse of "Before the Throne of God Above."

I could go on and on, but I must go study and work on my computer project! It was definitely refreshing to take a time and think about all that I am thankful for! See you soon!


Katie Hefflefinger

November 16, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Rachel Dierking said...

I am soooo thankful for my sisters!!! I don't know what I would do without Chrystal or Renee... Both have been great examples to me of what a godly girl can be like! And, I am thankful that God loves every person, and not just the pretty or the smart, but that he loves every person with more love than is humanly possible!!!

November 16, 2008 at 3:39 PM
mike said...

Amen on the answered prayers one! I can't remember how many times I've prayed for something and only realized weeks or even years later that I have exactly what I asked for and I didn't even remember to thank Him. Looking back, I can't remember a single prayer God hasn't answered, either in the way I asked or in a way that I know now was much better. One that has been coming to my mind recently is my philosophy professor David Layman.

Starting at a secular college, I was praying for good professors, at least in some of the trickier subjects like philosophy. I know my family was too and God really answered when He allowed me to sign up in Layman's class. Not only does he have an awesome teaching style which all his students love, he's also a born again Christian, and though he can't outright preach to the class, the questions he asks are very thought provoking and most the students who don't agree with him at least know two or three very effective arguments against their skewed world view. Even when they don't agree with him, most of them love him and I think all of them respect where he stands. It has been an incredible encouragement to be able to sit in a class where I can actually agree with what is being said and not always feel like I'm on the defensive. I've also learned a lot from him just by watching the way he teaches and handles the class because without a doubt he has one of the most focused and enthusiastic classrooms in this school.

Anyway, all that to say that God really has answered so many of my prayers and when I am reminded by things like this blog post to look back and count them, I am amazed at how good and responsive God is and how quick I am to forget.

November 18, 2008 at 10:02 AM

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