I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count. Psalm 40:1-5 (ESV)

This scripture holds special meaning to me. As I reflect on this year, the days before Thanksgiving, I can’t do it without returning to this scripture.

Verses 1-3 represent my salvation and my return to Christ after walking away from Him as a teenager. I remember calling out to Him in desperation, realizing my need for Him and the acknowledgment that I would not survive life without Him.

I am reminded of His personal touch and the personal ways He pulled me out of my pit. I ponder how He continues to heal my heart and pull me out of the small pits I have stepped into along this life journey with Him.

I am thankful for the new song He has put in my mouth and the firm foundation He is for me as He continues to help me to trust Him more fully.

I pray as He uses my words and the things He places on my heart to share that others will see Him and His faithfulness and be drawn to Him. May those who haven’t known they can have a personal relationship with Jesus see that a relationship is what He wants.

I pray as I lay down my works, doing things in my own strength, my inadequacies, and imperfections, people will see God’s strength in my weakness and the miracles He continues to do in my life in every way, pointing back to my Savior.

What a joy and a privilege to live life with Jesus and His people, His body, and His church!

This year has been filled with loss and death, yet it has also been filled with gain and life!

This year has been heavy yet lighter as I am learning how to live in His yoke and let Him carry my burdens.

This year has had things to release and let go, yet it has been full of things to walk in and take on that are a little different.

I am thankful for God’s personal presence and faithfulness to me throughout this year and HIs goodness in the midst of the hard and not-so-exciting stuff.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6 (NASB)

I am thankful for YOU!

I am thankful for my readers and my supporters who love and encourage me. God has used you to help me and encouraged me to keep writing the words He gives me and to move forward in what God is leading me to do.

Thank you to those who have reached out, shared your feedback, and encouraged me to keep writing. I treasure you! I thank God for you and look forward to continuing to connect with you.

I am praying for you all in this Thanksgiving season that God brings to memory all the ways He has been faithful to you this year. I pray He gives you a worshipful heart even in the midst of the hard and not-so-great stuff. I pray HIs presence is very real to you!

Keep worshiping the only ONE worthy of being praised; keep seeking God with your WHOLE heart, and give yourself a chance to BE STILL in the midst of the chaos the Holidays can bring.

Be willing to let go of anything that may be stealing your peace and joy, and BE PRESENT! If I have learned anything this year, it is that what the Bible says is true: life is a mere breath, and we never know when our time will come.

I pray God blesses you beyond measure in this season and always!