Super-Sized Gratitude = Praise

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

    --and forget not all his benefits...
3 
5 (He) who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."  ---From Psalm 104

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Shh, but usually I avoid the 'there's only one way to think' folks. Life's too short and God's too incredible to sit beside them in stuffy boxes for 70 or 80 years. 

Go insisting there's only one way to praise God (in a church amongst others) and well, you and I probably aren't besties.

No, lately I'm choosing a Praise Lifestyle. How? By the adventure of super-sizing my gratitude.

Like when my ancient Nancy Drew books arrived this week--

--I thanked God for:

Those who gave me birthday money to purchase these. 

The Internet. The zillions of books there.

Ebay and its sellers.

The Nancy Drew author(s).

Old books, old art, old language. 

The mylar upstairs to protect the covers (rather than removing them while reading only to promptly lose them as I used to. Er hem.).

Bookshelves galore in my tiny house.

The 40 years God led me, like on a treasure hunt, to old books in (often) dusty, dark places.

And that, because of Him, my own library is the best one in all of New York state(!) (No really, for me it is. I checked online.) ジ

Books. Family. Friends. My home, garden, wardrobe. 'My' cafe 'round the corner. Music. My adorable closet bedroom. Train adventures. The years at Autumn Cottage. The time we had a farm. This blog. My prepper stockpile. Days with gorgeous weather. The river down the street. Sitting on our front porch, speaking with neighbors who pass by. Grocery delivery. Surprise cards in the mail. Divine protection. Birthdays, normal days, Saturdays with Tom and lunch delivery, movies and closing the curtains upon the outside world.

On and on until infinity, real praise shoves-out complaints and worries about a world gone out-of-control. And praise rejuvenates, thank-goodness.

In a constant atmosphere of praise, nothing can stop God's blessings. Keep praising Him for all He does and is--no matter what's happening--and the future will always appear bright because He is our light.

...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise---the fruit of lips that openly profess his name...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow..." ---Hebrews 13:15, Matthew 6:34

Are we contemplating more about the bad which might happen or the good which already has?

Let us be busy with good things. 

Busy with gratitude. 

Busy, but with a mind at rest. 

God-covered.

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I've watched many documentaries about The Waltons (many!), but this one is a new favorite. Lots of gratitude spoken about within this hour.

 "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."   ---Psalm 34:1

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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15