Giving Thanks to God the Father Through Jesus

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

This is a tough one.

Giving thanks in whatever I do.

And doing everything in the name of Jesus.

Being thankful in all of my words just doesn't come naturally.

And doing every deed in the name of the Lord Jesus takes more than I usually give.

But I thank God through Jesus for giving me His Word.

And for guiding me each day.

And for not giving up on me.

God Has Shown the Power of His Works

He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. — Psalm 111:6-7 

Today we'll thank God for His blessings as we worship and praise Him.

He has shown us the power of His works.

The works of His hands are faithful and just.

All His precepts and laws are trustworthy.

He has given them to us to help us thrive.

And He has given us the fellowship of community to help us worship Him in full.

To Him be all power and majesty.

Sing and Make Music From Your Heart to the Lord

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Ephesians 5:19-20 

It's not always easy to speak to others from the Spirit.

Sometimes I just want to call people idiots.

But God commands me to speak with psalms,  hymn, and spiritual songs from the Spirit.

He asks me to sing and make music from my heart to the Lord.

And He commands me to always give thanks to God for everything.

And to thank God in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In the Name of Jesus

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 3:13

Saturday we enjoyed spending time with friends.

Hiking Mission Trails early in the morning.

And having another group of friend over in the afternoon for charcuterie and carrot cake and wine.

Sunday we will go to our Easter sunrise service at Waterfront Park down by the bay.

Our orchestra will play the hymns and our choir will join in the singing.

Kirk and I will serve communion.

It will be a sunny Easter day.

Some of our older family friends will not be able to join us tomorrow, since we have not all be vaccinated, but our other family members will come over for ham.

We are blessed.

 

Do Not Forget the Lord

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws, and His decrees that I am giving you this day. — Deuteronomy 8:11

At times my life gets so harried and busy that I neglect God.

I don't give Him the praise and thanks for all He has done for me.

I don't honor Him in the way He deserves.

I neglect His commands and laws and turn to my own way instead.

At times like those, God brings Kirk's example of Christian love and patience to me, to remind me where I'm failing him.

Help me, Lord, to grow in my relationship with You.

Thank you for your mercy.

Giving Thanks for You

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. — Ephesians 1:15-16

I am thankful for my friends who are praying for me and my CT scan today.

And for the nurse Bela who managed to get the IV in my arm after a couple of tries.

She even prayed when it didn't work the first time, and I joined her.

She told me about a doctor she used to work with who also prayed for his patients.

What a blessing!

I should have the results in a couple of weeks.

If everything is ok, they will send me a letter.

My doctor said I'm probably fine, but we just needed to make sure so we don't worry since I have a slightly swollen area in my neck.

I have not stopped giving thanks for my friends and family members and prayer warriors, remembering them in my prayers.

Music From Your Heart

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Ephesians 5:19-20

Sunday was our First Pres. San Diego Christmas by Candlelight concert.

We sang along with the Kings Brass group.

They are amazing musicians.

What a great sound to sing carols with such skillful brass accompaniment.

They played from our church balconies, antiphonally.

It was bittersweet because it was also our final time to sing with our current conductor, Ed Basilio. 

He is pictured conducting us in this photo from 2016.

He and his wife have moved to Reno Nevada, where Becky's mom lives, and we will miss them.

His wife, Becky, was our soprano section leader and filled in as conductor while Ed was recovering from surgery. 

She is an excellent conductor, too.

Our organist, Rodney, will fill in as our interim choral conductor while continuing to be our organist.

God has provided for our church family.

In the Name of Jesus

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. — Colossians 3:17

Today was the birthday of one of my newer coworkers.

We decorated her desk, and I made scones to celebrate.

She invited me and our boss to lunch!

How thoughtful was that. She insisted that I should not pay since it was her day and she got to call the shots.

Our boss ended up treating us both, which was a very nice surprise.

I give thanks to God my coworkers, my job, my boss, and for the daily opportunities He gives me to encourage others.