Have A Positive New Year
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Celebrate!

Psalm 148:1 GW Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens. Praise him in the heights above.

How often do we complain to God? How often do we thank and praise Him for His many blessings? Do we spend more time enumerating all our gripes than appreciating what we do have—His many blessings?

Maybe it is time to focus on the positive--starting now.

Future Joy
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Celebrate!
Isaiah 35:10 GW The people ransomed by the LORD will return. They will come to Zion singing with joy. Everlasting happiness will be on their heads as a crown. They will be glad and joyful. They will have no sorrow or grief.

Whatever happens here, no matter how bad, it isn't all there is. It we serve Christ and honor Him, there will come a "payday" where joy will replace sorrow. Something to focus on when life isn't all we hoped. After all, God is good and He is ultimately in control.

Oh Give Thanks
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Celebrate!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. I Chronicles 16:34

Isn't it great that God doesn't get so tired of our whining and complaining, He turns His back when we come to Him for help.

Today on Thanksgiving Day we can begin a new habit of counting our blessings instead of our complaints.

Christmas Still Comes
Now Playing: I Deal in Hope Daily Devotional Blog
Topic: Celebrate!

CHRISTMAS STILL COMES
© 2008 Carolyn R Scheidies

Family and friends,
Parties and presents,
and decorated trees.
All seem part and parcel
of the Christmas season,
Yet even without all these,
Christmas will still come
to you and me.
For Christmas is
the birth of a special baby
in Bethlehem,
Who came,
the Savior,
to all who worship Him.

For to us a child has come, to us a son is given; and the government has been placed in his hands; and he has been named Wise Guide, Strong God, Father for ever, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Father's Day 08
Now Playing: I Deal in Hope Daily Devotional Blog
Topic: Celebrate!
Eph. 6:4 WEP You fathers, don't provoke your children to wrath, but
nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Today is Father's Day. It is also my dad's birthday. He has been gone
since 1988, but he taught me how to live. He taught me God is, Jesus
loves me, He forgives and, though we don't understand His ways, He is
near waiting for me to come to Him.

Dad taught me to develop and use all the talents and abilities God
gave me and to reach for the stars. He listened what I needed to talk,
provided guidance when I craved his wisdom and gave me silence when I
simply needed his presence.

Dad had a sense of humor. He was awful at telling jokes, but never
stopped trying. I learned to not take life situations too seriously,
but to realize life happens, bring my needs to God and deal with life
head on.

When I was at my worst as a teen, in pain amd with no hope of a cure
from the arthritis that decimated my once strong body, no hope of a
better quality of life, Dad never gave up on me or my future.

Dad may be many years gone, but the lessons I learned at his knee, I
passed on to my children.

Dads, Godly men, are an absolute need for children. Thank the Godly
men in your life today.

Mother's Day
Now Playing: I Deal in Hope Daily Devotional Blog
Topic: Celebrate!

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. Psalm 147:1

I am freezing. Turned off the heat last week and then it turned cold again. Rained like anything yesterday. We don't want to turn the heat back on so trying to stay warm.

That said, today is supposed to be much warmer and the sun is out.

It is also Mother's Day. My daughter had flowers delivered yesterday and this morning I opened an e-card from my daughter-in-law that made me cry. I have such a warm, caring family.

I am so blessed. Praise the Lord!!!

Christianity is about Joy
Now Playing: I Deal in Hope Daily Devotional Blog
Topic: Celebrate!

Let Israel find joy in their creator. Let the people of Zion rejoice over their king. Let them praise his name with dancing. Let them make music to him with tambourines and lyres, Psalm 149:2-3 GW

Those Christians or not who think Christianity is all long faces and somber spirits need to get into God's Word more. It is filled with joy and celebration. I've never seen a people who had so many holidays as the Jewish people.

While there are times to reflect and be serious, joy, not depression should be the natural attitude of God's people. After all, He created us to laugh and appreciate as well as create beauty and with a spirit of hope, celebration and rejoicing.

Look up. Count your blessing and follow God's principle of joy.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, Rejoice! Phil. 4:4 MKJV

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