In All Things Praise

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – (Colossians 3:17, NIV)

Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. – (Colossians 3:17, ERV)

Surely, no matter what you are doing (speaking, writing or working), do it all in the name of Jesus our Master, sending thanks through Him to God our Father. – (Colossians 3:17, VOICE)

This verse, paired with what I know and love about the Psalms, remind me that it is okay to struggle with and lament what is going on, yet we must ultimately fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. David was a man after God’s own heart, and he questioned, lamented and cried out to God, yet ever kept perspective on who God is and gave Him the thanks that belongs to God alone. Right now, I am still reeling a bit from the prognosis I received from the specialist on Wednesday. I am still grateful that the carcinoma was discovered sooner than later, yet I am very much dreading the process of the prescribed procedure. It is not the pain I fear, but rather my body’s reaction to the process. God is good, and He will supply all that I need, however, my humanity is not looking forward to any of it, and the specialist’s insistence that I be fast-tracked to have the surgery sooner than later, adds a bit of angst as well. This is the space that I can pause and remember God’s incredible faithfulness in my life thus far, and His kindness to provide a long weekend to process and prepare my heart before heading back into the work week. Additionally, there is just enough activity sprinkled in, that I will not have too much time to dwell on what lies ahead. There is time to rest, to spend time with my loved ones, to cuddle my dogs extra often, to coach my gymnasts as they are working on building routines, and to celebrate the retirement of one of our dearest friends. I am missing my mom and sister terribly this holiday weekend, but know that I can joyfully anticipate time together at Christmas. May we ever fix our eyes on Jesus, our Help and our Hope in all things, and give Him all of our praise for His faithfulness throughout all of our days.

O Lord, in all things,

Will You help me praise;

Your great faithfulness,

Throughout all my days.

Each day You are good,

Even when life’s not;

You share our burdens,

Each time that You’re sought.

Thank You for kindness,

For goodness and grace;

For hope and Your help,

On difficult days.

Thank You, Lord Jesus,

That You’re good always;

And Your faithfulness,

Is reason to praise.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good, faithful, loving and kind, and the Provider of all that we need each day. Thank You that no matter what lies ahead, we have You to walk beside us and to carry us when we can walk no further. Forgive us for our fears of the unknown, for You are known in all, even when what lies ahead is not. Teach us to trust You more each day, and lead us to live out each day trusting in Your unfailing love that never leaves us. Show us how to love, encourage and support those around us in ways that make Your love tangible and Your goodness evident. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to praise You throughout all of our days. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. – Psalm 13:6

Thankful for Faithful Love

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for all humanity. – (Psalm 107:8, HCSB)

Thank the Lord for His faithful love and for the amazing things He does for people. – (Psalm 107:8, ERV)

May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal in honor of His loyal love and all the wonders He has performed for humankind! – (Psalm 107:8, VOICE)

Today in particular, I am thankful to the Lord in His faithful love, for providing me the one that my heart needed. My Viking is not necessarily who I would have imagined, yet he is everything my heart is grateful for. God knows our hearts and what we need, and loves to bless us. One of my greatest blessings has been found in my spouse. He is loving and kind, protective and generous, grit and grace, strength and gentleness, and the one that has captured my heart in a way that I never knew was possible. On his birthday, I am especially grateful that God brought him into the world to be raised by his mom. She taught him the value of hard work and loyalty, has exemplified goodness and grace, balanced with discipline, and loves her kids fiercely in a way that has helped each of them to flourish in adulthood. God has done amazing things in and through each of them. May we ever praise God and give Him thanks for the loyal love He provides to us and the people whom He places in our lives to make His heart tangible.

All thanks be to God,

For goodness and grace;

The blessings He gives,

When we give Him space.

With hearts wide open,

To trust in His love;

We discover more,

Beyond and above.

God blesses our hearts,

As He does provide;

Every good gift,

Tangible inside.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are faithful forever and You know what we need. Thank You that You bless us beyond what we could have imagined on our own, and You bring goodness and grace into our lives that make Your love tangible. Forgive us for the times that we have wondered what could come of the things before us, for You bring beauty and blessing from the difficult things in our lives. Thank You for the gift of my Viking, as he has shown me more of You as he loves me well. Show me how to love and care for those around me in ways that make Your heart known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You and thank You for the ways that You bless us all with Your loyal love. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

All Thanks to God

I thank my God every time I remember you. – (Philippians 1:3, NIV) 

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. – (Philippians 1:3, MSG) 

My prayers for you are full of praise to God as I give Him thanks for you with great joy! – (Philippians 1:3, TPT) 

This captures my heart for each of my family and friends. As I think of each person who has poured into my life through their love, support and kindness, I become overwhelmed with gratitude. On Saturday, as my love and I spent the day with my mom, my heart was full of thanks as we witnessed all that God has done to orchestrate the details so that mom could move back home. My sister too, has been an integral part of her return, as she is an amazing details person, and a human resources super star. It has taken tremendous teamwork to make this dream work, and get mom home safely. Dear friends, who are more like family, have also been instrumental in her move. The smile on mom’s face and the joy in her voice when we speak, remind us anew that she is where she belongs. Additionally, the gal whom Meg found to help mom out during the day with errands, cleaning, appointments and the like, is a phenomenal fit. God is so good, and we cannot help but give Him thanks and praise. 

All thanks be to God, 

For blessings He gives; 

Through loving people, 

Who love as we live. 

For kindness given, 

With no strings attached; 

Love that’s invested, 

Goodness that’s unmatched. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the incredible blessing that You give us through the people whom You place in our lives. Thank You for the ways that You make Your love tangible through the people around us. Thank You for the gift of family and friends. Forgive us for taking the blessings for granted, and not thanking and praising You enough. Teach us to remember who blesses us with goodness and grace best. Show us how to extend love as You do to all those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You for all those whom You have placed in our lives in love. Amen. 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present  

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:57