I see the stars, I hear(d) the rolling thunder......

Wow! Oh what a night! Once again being reminded of God's powerful works. I was awoken to the loud, continuous rumble of thunder which led to the fierce, piercing bolts of lightening completely brightening the dark night sky. When I was a child, I absolutely hated thunderstorms. I would hide underneath the covers of my bed waiting for it to be over. I'm pretty sure I shed tears, too. I'm still not a huge fan of the storms, but rather than become scared, I watch with wonder and awe at just how powerful God can be and sometimes I am thankful for that reminder.

While awake, I decided to turn to my daily devotionals. 4:00am and my bible app. Some would say that is a recipe for sleep. Once again, it was as if the devotionals could see my immediate world. My Bible Study Part Two focused on Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for He is with me; His rod and staff they comfort me. He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; He anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever. Perfect for being in a thunderstorm and feeling slightly scared and timid. Just a little reminder! 

During times of weakness and trouble in our lives we always seem to turn to good old Psalm 23, whether we are religious or not. Funny how when we view ourselves as weak, simple sheep we remember that verse and turn to our Shepherd for comfort.

As I sit on my porch this morning, looking over at the fog laced mountain, I can't help but be thankful that I live here, being able to enjoy the quietness of my world. The storms last night, while fierce and menacing, brought such beauty this morning. My Thankfulness devotional today hit upon another verse that sticks with me. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18: Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

Be thankful in all circumstances. As I close out this morning's installment, I wish to point out that I am not a holy roller. I am not this overly religious person who doesn't cuss, get angry, or spits out verses at you when you do wrong. I have found that God's word makes its presence known when we most need it and least expect it. The rest is up to us. You are the only one in control of how your day will turn out, how people view you, and what your attitude will be. You are the driver of that car. For me, I choose to wake up happy (even if I could use a few more hours of sleep), remain thankful in ALL circumstances (even if at first it seems like a real crappy one to be in....I will find something good), and walk through life with a positive attitude (because the negative crap drains the life out of you causing you to miss the beauty you have to live!). How will you choose to steer your car?

Make it a great day, my friends.....











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