Gateways to Joy

M y heart swells with expression of joy and gratitude when I think about the gifts that He has given, and the gifts that He continues to give. The ability, alone, to share in the gift expression with others is enough to overflow the heart with gratitude.   I feel like shouting: thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!   My heart is full!   "The Lord is gracious and compassionate...good to all...faithful to all His promises...loving toward all He has made...righteous in all His ways...near to all who calls on Him...watches over all who love Him...my mouth will speak in praise of the Lord, said the Psalmist. My gratitude list #'s 100-104 ~ The simple joys of home life ~ The beauty that each day brings.  The lessons taught.  Lessons learned by His hand. ~ The refreshment that sleeps gives ~New mercies every morning. These gifts are from the hand of Him who redeems your life, who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion, who satisfi...

C elebrating  Him and His endless gifts of giving .  Learning thankfulness for the endless blessings Christ gives us. Take a look around ...  go ahead.  Somewhere you will find His endless gifts to you .  No matter how bleak things may look today—take a look around.  I bet you'll find something.  Actually, I know you will.  He's the gift giver. The best way for us to see our endless gifts is to celebrate in what we have: What He's given us. Thank Him in heart for the obvious .  Sit back and ponder on the even smaller blessings ...things, t he things you and I have the ability to take for granted ... overlook.  The Bible tells us,  " There is an appointed time for everything/  And there is a time for every event under the heaven— God has made everything appropriate in its time.  He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginnin...

I never thought I would be thankful for the noise that my children make when they are outside running free and playing, but after what happened this weekend... I'm thankful . Yesterday (Saturday), my children were outside playing.  They were very loud so I went outside to tell them to quieted down.  Several minutes later, three of the seven ran in and said, " Mom something really bad happened outside...a really bad accident with Krishtiana and Kramon!"  My heart stopped as I ran to the door and saw my 9 year-old daughter coming inside crying hysterically... her hand covering her left eye blood running down her face and arm, and her 7 year old brother walking in behind her looking dazed as if he was about to pass out! I ran to her, saw him ran to catch him before he fell right where he was.  While running to him, I yelled to my 13 year-old son who was assisting his sister, " apply pressure to stop the bleeding, someone get him a towel!...