131 - Cinema

I've had the privilege of going to the cinema quite a lot recently.

And yes, there can be those annoying people who rustle their food loudly and whisper during the film. It can be expensive.

But there's something special about seeing a film in the cinema.

That huge screen, sitting in the darkness - it makes the film even more realistic.

Scenery looks so much better on the big screen.

You can just forget everything for those few hours - isn't it disorientating when you come out?

Thank you God for the entertainment of cinemas - and for the money to afford them!

130 - A choice of clothes

Ahh! It's been ages since I last posted on here! I do apologise. My only defence is that I've been feeling down with a really bad cough and cold all week, so my head's not really been with it...

Anyway! I digress.

To any guy reading this - don't leave in panic, thinking I'm about to start talking about dresses and patterns and t-shirts, and how nice it is to have a variety...

Well, it is, but that's not what I want to focus on.

Today, my nephew accidentally spilt a drink over me. Of course, I just went upstairs and changed into a set of clean clothes.

But later, I thought about how easy that'd been to do, and how I just taken those clothes waiting in my cupboard for granted - when many people in the world only have the things they wear and nothing else. No jumpers to layer up if they get cold. No fresh cleanly washed garments.

So, I want to start looking for ways to help these people.
And as I do, may I never forget to be thankful for the blessings God's given me in being able to afford a choice of clothes!

129 - Google

'...seek and you will find...' (Matthew 7:8) 

Google will never hold all the answers to life...but it's still very, very useful.

For example, my DVD player recently stopped working on my laptop. All I had to go was Google a few things, and I had the steps needed to fix it.

What's the weather going to be?

Encouraging Bible verses?

Chocolate recipes?

You name it, chances are there's something about it on the Internet.

Thank you God for giving man the brains to create things like Google.

128 - When we 'fail'

Strange reason to be thankful? Allow me to elaborate...

I read this book recently called Packing Light by Alison Vesterfelt. It was a very good book and I wrote lots of quotes down from it. But one in particular stood out to me.

'If we think the objective is to get a certain job, or a certain car, or a certain spouse, then of course we'll feel like a failure when that doesn't happen. Of course we'll wonder if we heard God wrong, or if we made a wrong turn somewhere. But what if the point isn't the end product? Or what if the end product isn't what we thought it was? What if the point is the trip and the end product is us?' 

This kind of thinking could change our outlook on life.

We need no longer fear failing at something - in fact we can be thankful when we do.

Because through them, we can learn and grow.

Because those failures go toward making us the person God wants us to be. Like His son.

127 - Alarm clocks (or phone alarms)

'How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?' (Proverbs 6:9)

I'm gonna be honest here. When my alarm goes off in the morning - and I don't get up that early compared to most people I know - I don't go 'YES! Thank you God for alarm clocks!' 

I'm only human. 

However, what's the alternative? An alarm clock that doesn't go off? No alarm at all?

You wake up late and in a panic. You have to get washed, dressed, fed and out the house in a rush. Traffic inevitably slows you down more. The rest of the day goes badly. 

Yeah, we don't like being woken up. We don't like getting out of our snug beds. 

But we're glad we have alarms that work; that prepare us for the day ahead in good time. 

Just watch the Home Alone movies. 

(All because their alarms didn't go off)

126 - Our hearts

When I say "hearts" in this post, I am referring to the physical organ inside us, not the heart the Bible refers to, so no verse to start with :( Just to clarify ;)

Our hearts are really amazing, if we ever just stopped and thought about them for a moment. God essentially created something that keeps itself going repeatedly. It doesn't stop till the moment we die. Even in the night, it keeps going. The valves keep opening and closing, pushing blood round our body, keeping us alive.

If I was the scientific type, I would start spouting facts about the heart. But alas, I am the English type instead, So words are what I use...

Everyday, I take it for granted that I will wake up with my heart still beating properly. I take it for granted it will keep beating through the day. And I take it for granted it will keep going through the night.

Instead, I will pause a moment when I pray, and whisper a prayer of thanks that my heart keeps me alive long enough to form the words I speak.

When I run, I will be thankful that he made it strong enough to beat faster and cope with the exercise.

And I will be thankful that the hearts of those I love still beat as well.

Thank you God that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you for our hearts that keep us alive, and thank you for being the God who keeps them beating!

125 - When God clearly acts (even in little things)

I love it when something happens to remind me just how real and alive and wonderful God is. To remember He's there in heaven, He's here in me and He loves us so, so much.

These reminders can be big - like when prayer is answered and someone is saved - or little.

Let me give such an example.

Recently, I was reading of Jesus' resurrection during my quiet time. It made me think of Keith and Kristyn Getty's song 'Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed.'

(Here's a link for those who haven't heard it - shame on you...just joking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4E9s_W0sos )

Anyway, I wrote a few of the lyrics from this song down in my notebook.

Seconds later, the song started playing on my ipod (which was on shuffle).

My mouth really did drop open. I was laughing and amazed.

It was as if Jesus was watching from heaven, grinning and saying 'Oh, so you're reading about my resurrection? You're glad I'm alive? Well, let me show you just how alive I am!'

Who says He's serious? Who says He doesn't have a sense of humour?

Thank you God for the reminders that you are the one true Lord, that you are. 

124 - Spider's webs

Let me make it clear - I HATE spiders. I'm not thankful for them (even if they eat flies).

I saw a link to a video about a huge jumping spider the other day, and almost had a panic attack. I did not need to know that!

However...

I can't deny that their webs are quite amazing. Their design, their strength, the way they can be built in a few minutes. It takes us years to build our houses!

And when they're covered in frost or dew - they're beautiful to look at.

Thank you Lord for something lovely coming from something scary :)

123 - The Holiness of Christ

And Pilate said to them '...What evil has he done?' (Mark 15:14) 

The answer to Pilate's question?

Nothing. He'd done no evil at all. Even the crowd couldn't come up with a reply. They could only continue their furious cries of 'Crucify Him!' 

I think we can forget just how incredible Jesus' holiness was. He was a man like us, yet He:

• Always loved God with His heart, soul, mind and strength. All of Him. His whole being was consumed with the Lord; everything about Him was obsessed with His Father.

• Always loved his neighbour as Himself. He put others first, ALL THE TIME. He never gave into selfish desires to look out for Himself, not once. Even though this love cost Him His life. 

• He never had idols - popularity, money, power - none of that enticed Him. 

• He was never irritated - even with His disciples! 

• Never selfish

• Never lazy or greedy. 

He was perfect. 

And yet...

That perfect man had to die in the cruellest way possible - all so that the ones who really had done evil - again and again - and who continue to do evil - you and me - could be forgiven. Could be saved. 

Now, when we stand before the throne and Satan yells 'Destroy them! Kill them!' God looks at us, sees the holy perfection of His son, and says, 

'What evil have they done?' 

And He is making us truly like His son every day. One day, we will be perfect too. 

Thank you God for the holiness of Your Son - and that that holiness is attributed to us. 

Thank you for making us like Him! 

122 - Clear answers to prayer

'“Ask, and it will be given to you...' (Matthew 7:7)

I love it when prayers are answered and you can clearly see it was God at work. Sometimes He works in ways that are not so obvious, or sometimes you have to wait a while for an answer, but it's amazing when He does! 

For example, I knew someone who was running a craft evening in her church and was feeling discouraged, wondering if it was worth the effort of keeping it running. So I prayed God would make it clear to her. And the very same day, there was a great turn-out at the event, including non-Christian friends. 

I don't think God could've made it any clearer! 

But sometimes His clear answers are in little moments too - a desperate prayer for something which was lost, and it is found moments after. 

It's a great reminder that He does hear us. 

And He does answer. Because He's good and loving. He's God! 

Thank you for answers. 

121 - Finding new things in the Bible

'I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.' (Isaiah 45:3)

I'm not sure what the verse above refers to, but I like to think it could refer to the Bible, and the way we can keep discovering new things, new verses - 'hidden treasures' - years and years after we first became a Christian and first started reading the Scriptures. 

For example...

I'm reading Jeremiah at the moment, and I was amazed by chapters 30-31 in particular. Verses packed with promises and hope of the goodness of God. I guess I just had this mindset of Jeremiah being all gloomy prophecies - he was nicknamed 'The Weeping Prophet', after all. 

But look. 

'I will restore the fortunes of my people' (30:3)

'I will burst your bonds' (30:8)

'I will save you' (30:10)

'Jacob [Israel, who was in exile - I think?] shall return' (30:10)

'I will restore health to you' (3-:17)

'I will multiply them...I will make them honoured.' (30:19)

'I will punish all who oppress them; (30:20)

'You shall be my people and I will be your God.' (30:22)

'I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.' (31:3) (This one really gets to me). 

'The Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him' (31:11)

'I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow.' (31:13)

'I will satisfy the weary soul and every languishing soul. I will replenish.' (31:25)

'Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the Lord of hosts is his name. If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me...(31:35). (So essentially, the world would have to FALL APART before He would neglect His people. 

WOW. 

What a list. 

He showed grace to undeserving Israel - to undeserving us. His love is steadfast. His faithfulness is constant. He can't love us any more or less. 

And He has given us His living word, that keeps opening up itself and revealing hidden treasures when we keep turning to it. 

PRAISE YOU GOD!!!!!!

120 - Being silently included into conversations

So...interesting one.

I struggle in social situations. I find it hard to approach a group of people. Some stupid part of me thinks they won't want me butting in.

But sometimes I do, and whoever's talking will start looking at me as well as the others they were originally talking to. Just a small indication that they're saying I see you're here. I see you're listening and I'm not ignoring you. 

I'm thankful for those who do that - all the more because I'm bad at doing the very same thing. I get so into my conversation that I keep my attention on whoever I'm talking to - forgetting to shift my eyes to other people.

Yeah, something small. But something to think about.

And be thankful when that person looks at you as they talk.

119 - Generosity

'‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

Some people are more generous than others. My brother recently got a job and now that's he's getting a good pay, we can see how generous hearted he is - paying for meals out and doughnuts and so on. 

I, on the other hand, have a tendency to be more tight-fisted, something I'm ashamed of, but that God, in His mercy, is helping me grow out of. 

And I'm thankful for this, because it's so much better to see the joy and hear the gratitude of others, when you share what you have, then to hold onto your money. The pleasure of others is something you can remember and treasure. Money...you'll never have enough of it. 

When we are generous, we are showing thanks to God for all He's given us, saying 'This isn't mine, it's yours...so let me share with others what you've shared with me.' 

Earthly possessions aren't going to last. Heavenly rewards for kindness and generosity are. The warm approval of our Father is. 

So be thankful for the everyday, never ending generosity of God. 

And just copy Him. Loosen that fist. Treasure the 'Thank you', more than the money. 

Thank you God for generous hearts. 

118 - Fingerprints

'... I am fearfully and wonderfully made...' (Psalm 139:14)

 They're right there, on our fingers. We've had them ever since we grew in the womb, and yet, how often do we think about them?

Fingerprints.

On one level, fingerprints have helped bring many criminals to justice. 

But this is only possible because of the One who made fingerprints. 

How amazing is it that no two sets of fingerprints are the same? Even identical twins don't have the same fingerprints. 
Which means, God has made different fingerprints for about seven billion people...and that's just people alive today. 

It gives us a glimpse of the creativity of our Lord - and the fact that He does not view us as a collective humanity, rather as individual people whom He knows and loves deeply. 

So, next time you happen to glance at your hands, don't worry that your hands might be dirty or wrinkly or your nails are too long or whatever. 

Look at those artistic patterns on your fingers. 

And be thankful there's a God who cares about YOU. 

117 - Picking up with old friends

'A friend loves at all times...' (Proverbs 17:17)

I've done a post on friends before, but there are some friends who you're closer with than others. 

Friends, where it doesn't matter that you haven't seen them for years because it seems like days when you meet up again.

Friends, where you don't have to spend ages staring awkwardly at the wall, wondering what to say. 

Friends, where you look forward to Heaven,  because you don't have to say goodbye to them again. 

Friends I'm thankful for!

116 - Getting car lifts to places

I bet when Dad retired he didn't think his new job would be a taxi driver to his children! Yet he and Mum have been so good to us, driving us here and there when they could've told us to get the bus or train instead.

Sometimes I fear we don't show our gratitude enough.

Well, this week I was reminded just how thankful I should be for their generosity in giving us lifts. This is because they've been away, and we've been having to transport ourselves to work each day...and yesterday, we got caught in a very...heavy...rain shower.

So, thank you God for reminding me not to take these lifts for granted!

115 - Prophecy

'For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.' (2 Peter 1:21)

For a long time, I've tended to feel quite down and depressed about family who aren't following the Lord, about non-Christian friends who I have no idea how to speak to about Jesus. 

Then last week, I went to the Christian event Newday in Norfolk. 

At the end of a seminar, the speaker told everyone to pair up with a stranger, and wait for God to give them a message for the other. A complete act of faith. All  you knew about the other person was their name. 

And the girl I was with - someone I'd never ever met before, who knew nothing about me - said the following:

'I believe God is giving Naomi the message that her family and friends can be saved.'

...WOW. 

I can't describe how much that affected to me, only that for the first time ever in a Christiand meeting, I cried. 

God knew what was on my heart. He knew what I needed to feel encouraged. 

That prophecy is something I can carry with me for the rest of my life. 

Who said God had to give it to me in the first place? He didn't. I don't deserve a direct message from the Holy God. 

But because His Son died, because His Spirit was sent, I was able to hear those words. 

And I am so, so thankful for them, for prophecy. 

114 - Libraries

'“A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them.” 
― Lemony Snicket

How can I not have written about this sooner? I know I've done books, but libraries are very special to me.

A true bookworm always wants something more to read. And a cheap bookworm wants something to read without having to buy a new book too often. 

Libraries are the solution! 

Yes, you can't always find something. But when you do...the thrill of looking at a pile of fresh reading material...heh heh heh...I love it! 

Thank you God for the genius who invented libraries. Thank you for the staff who keep it in order so well. 

And thank you for giving us the brains and creativity to write books!  

113 - Anniversaries

'Let marriage be held in honour among all...' (Hebrews 13:4)

Today my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. 40 years that have seen the arrival of nine children and six grandchildren. 40 years in which God has been very, very good to them and us. 

Anniversaries are a yearly reminder of God's grace - that two sinners, once deserving of death, have been saved by Christ and brought together by Him as a reflection of His future marriage with the church, His Bride. 

A reminder that these two people are only still together because God is constantly sanctifying them so that they can learn to forgive each other's faults and love the other even more. 

In a time when marriage is not valued as highly as it once was in society, when divorce is easily an future outcome - anniversaries are special. 

And that's why we're so thankful to God for each one! 

112 - Lightning

'Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go?' (Laura Story)

The high temperatures we've been having lately has lead to some stormy weather - a chance to listen to growling thunder and watch bright flashes of lightning. 

Some might find it scary. But I find something amazing about storms - lightning in particular. I always look through the window for a while in hopes of seeing an actual bolt in the sky. 

Lightning is God's handiwork - a reminder of His power. No bolt goes where He does not want it to - so why fear getting struck by it? 

What an artist He is - just look at this picture. 

Thank you God for lightning - for its power, beauty and the fact You control where it goes. 

111 - God's joy over us

'The Lord your God...will rejoice over you with gladness...with loud singing' (Zeph. 3:17) 

I can't get over this verse.

God rejoices over us. US. The people who rebelled against Him, who are constantly sinning, ungrateful, lowly. Yet He finds joy in us.

Why? Because He's saved us. Sinners become saints. Outcasts become children.

And this doesn't just make Him content. He doesn't just sit back and smile. This joy bursts forth in divine celebration.

If the words of God produced Creation...just imagine what His singing is like. Imagine Heaven ringing with the happy voice of our Lord.

So don't we have even more reason to rejoice? God took the judgement we deserved away. It is finished. We're free!

May we sing and rejoice just as much! May we be as thankful for Him as He is for us!

You'll never be able to do it...but try and outsing God!

110 - Gentlemanly behaviour

The other week, I was walking along a pavement, and an old man coming the other way stepped to the side nearest the road and said 'On the inside, love. Ladies on the inside.' I was quite touched by this.

Although there are so many women out there who get offended if a guy tried to be a gentleman to her - offers to carry something, holds a door open, offers her chair - I personally think it's something to be thankful for.

Because they're not suggesting women are inferior to them. They're recognising God made men and women different (actually we're NOT as strong as men!) and treating them with respect. I appreciate that...

...And I like not having to carry heavy things myself... ;)

109 - Church weekends away

I know I've written a post on why I'm thankful for my church, but our church recently went away together to Cardiff. And it was a weekend that gave much to be thankful for.                                                                

A weekend of sausages and salad, of snooker and table tennis, of swimming and baptism, of rounders and a crazy Game Night.

A weekend where we were reminded of the importance of treating each other according to our doctrines and beliefs  - with graciousness and humility.

A weekend where I hardly slept and laughed a lot.

Thank you God for times like this!

108 - Our lineage

'...the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.' (Matthew 1:1)

It's no coincidence who our family, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on, are. All were carefully chosen by God. And we can be thankful for those choices. 

I'm thankful that I come from a lineage of people who loved God. My great-grandparents on my mother's side, for example, were missionaries. My parents raised me to follow God, something I will always, always be grateful for. 

But I'm aware not everyone has the privilege of a Christian lineage. Some may be the only Christian in their family. 

But they can still be thankful. 

Because the moment they put their faith in Christ, they became part of a new family - God's.

It doesn't get much better than that!

And if there are people in your ancestry you'd rather not mention, just read this post - it sums up the colourful characters in our Saviour's lineage pretty well! 

http://marshill.com/2012/12/04/knots-in-jesus-family-tree

The post finishes:

'...there is room for all of us in God’s family, by grace. There is room for men and women, rich and poor, young and old, moral and immoral, Jew and Gentile, perverted and virgin, religious and irreligious, liars and truth tellers, murderers and their victims in the family of God, by grace. There’s room for you no matter what you’ve done or what your family history may be.'

And that's one huge reason to be thankful. 

107 - Curtains

I have a fear of faces looking through a window at night. This actually happened once, and I screamed. Yeah. I blush to admit this. 

Which is why I'm very thankful for curtains. 

Night comes and you can just drag two pieces of material across and shut out the dark. It makes the house feel safer. Warmer. 

Curtains are a reminder God has blessed us with a home - security and comfort. 

Oh, and they can really complement your furniture ;)

Thank you God for the small things - even curtains. 

106 - Locks

'In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.' (Psalm 4:8)

Locks can be seen as a symbol of something wrong in the world. We don't trust others. There are those who would break in and try and steal what the locks protect. 

This is why we can be thankful for them. 

Thankful we have keys and locks to protect our house with each night, or each time we go away. 

Thankful for the way passwords 'lock' our private information online. 

But most of all, thankful that they are not our only source of security - that there is a God watching us each night, who never sleeps, and far surpasses any lock of this world! 

105 - When what was lost is found

'...that which was lost has now been found' (Luke 15:9)

I'm sure we've all been through it. 

You reach into your bag for your purse/wallet/phone/iPod. (It was even a passport for my brother once!)

But it's not there. 

You search deeper. Nothing. You check your pockets. No good. 

Your heart starts to pound, your mind desperately trying to remember when you last had the object you're trying to find. 

Please God no. No. NO. Please help me find it! 

And, just when you're about to give up all hope, He leads you to it. In a pocket you hadn't checked. On the side somewhere in the house. 

And the relief is wonderful. 

But do you remember to say...

Thank you God it wasn't lost for good. 

104 - Peace from God

'You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.' (Isaiah 26:3)

This week, my brother and sister had job interviews, my sister and some friends had exams, and I had a big uni essay to hand in. All nerve-racking stuff. 

But Christians don't have to feel the same panic that non-Christians might feel. Because we know all things are in the hands of a sovereign and loving God and Father. 

We worry and fret that we'll say the wrong thing, write the wrong thing, not get the job, not get the grades we want, fail the essay. God smiles at us and says,

'Don't worry. If you fail, it's because I have something better in mind. My plan won't be affected by your mistakes. If I sent my Son to die for you, don't you believe that I can get you through this? Trust me.'

Thank you God for the peace found in you. 

103 - God choosing us

'Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.' (Ephesians 1:4)

This verse kind of makes my brain want to explode. 

God chose every Christian before the world was even made. 

Which means GOD chose ME. Long, long, long before I was born. 

Why? What makes me any different to anyone else on the earth?

Only one thing. God's grace. 

It's only by His grace that He looked into the whole of time, before time even existed, into the century, year, place, date and hour that I would be born and decided 'Her. At the age of 7, her eyes shall be opened, she shall be saved with the sacrifice of my Son, and she shall become my child.' 

I can almost imagine the angels' astonishment when it took place. 
'Her? Why her? She's no-one special! She's a sinner who hates You and rebelled against you! Why would you choose her?' And perhaps God smiled and said to them,

'True. She's no-one special. She's a sinner. But I'm not choosing her because of who she is. I'm choosing her because of who I AM.' 


Lord, thank you for choosing the worthless to show You are worthy. Worthy of the highest praise and the most heartfelt thanks! 

Thank you for your AMAZING grace! 

102 - God's value of us

'Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.' (Matthew 10:31) 

'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.' (Isaiah 43:1)

I'm a worrier. I worry about my Uni course - will I pass with a good mark? I worry about family - will they be safe each day? Friends, job, the future - you name it, it's likely I've worried about it at some point. 

And it's all so pointless. 

God cares every part of His creation - even down to the sparrows, 'customarily thought of as the smallest of creatures'. You could pay for two with a penny 'one of the least valuable of Roman coins' (ESV study Bible). 

If He cares for a creature that was considered the least significant in Creation, then how much more will He care for me, for us - made in His image and saved from sin and death with the blood of His Son whom He loved so much. 

He thinks we are worth that much. 

If He values us that much, we can trust Him with our lives. What's the point in worrying when the Mighty God of the Universe loves you? 

Thank you God for valuing a sinner like me! 

101 - The sound of rain on the window

I share a loft room with my two sisters, which means when it rains, it's particularly loud when the drops hit the roof windows. This can sometimes be extremely irritating, especially if you're a light sleeper like me. 
And, as much as I blush to admit it, if the rain gets really, really wild, with wind and thunder and lightning, I almost get nervous, wondering just how strong the glass actually is. 

But there's reason to be thankful .                                                                                                       

For example, some might say the pattering sound is pleasant, (but I'm not about to write poetry on the topic just yet). 

Others might say it's a reminder God is refreshing the earth with the rain, which is true. 

For me, the sound reminds me I have shelter. I have a roof over my head. I have a soft bed to lie in. I'm not outside getting soaked, because God has blessed me with a home. 

We can give thanks to Him over anything - even the splash of rain on the glass. 

100 - When someone is saved!

'Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.' (Luke 15:10)

Recently our church had the joy of seeing a woman who'd been attending a Christianity Explore course, and our Mum's and Toddler's group, put her faith in God and become a Christian. 
There were a LOT of thankful prayers in the prayer meeting we had that night!

Surely seeing someone come to Christ is one of the things we can be most thankful for on this earth. 

Knowing it wasn't us, but Him...

Knowing the hours of telling the gospel, praying, hoping...were worth it. 

Knowing that one day, you and that person will worship the One who saved you both, side by side, in heaven, for eternity. 

Thank you God for salvation! 

99 - The Uniqueness of Christianity

'Christianity...is a religion you could not have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up. It just has that queer sort of twist about it that real things have.' (C.S. Lewis,  Mere Christianity)

Christianity differs greatly from any other religion.

Where else do you learn of a God who is both holy and gentle, mighty and loving, sovereign and merciful?

A God who became man, died for the wicked who rebelled against Him and then came back to life. Who could make up something like that?

Through this, He provided a way to be right with Him, through grace alone. Just grace. No sacrifices, frequent fastings, regular prayers. None of that will ever make us right, no matter what other religions say.

And because Christians are made right through what Christ has already done, they can be truly confidant that they will go to heaven when they die.

Because it's not about what we've done. 

It's about what Christ did.

Thank you Lord for the uniqueness of Christianity!

98 - Easter Sunday

'He is not here, for he has risen, as he said...' (Matthew 28:6)

'Christ is risen, He is risen indeed! 
Oh, sing hallelujah. 
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed; 

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.' (Keith and Kristyn Getty)

This post comes a little late, but we can be thankful every day for the joy that first Easter Sunday brought - and is still bringing today. 

Imagine the disciples being transformed from the misery and defeat of Friday to the shock and rejoicing on Sunday, when they learned that their Christ was not dead after all. Not only that, He was truly the Son of God and He'd just delivered a death blow to the power of sin over Man. 

Without the resurrection of Christ, we would still be despairing over a martyr. We would still be lost in sin, maybe foolishly trusting in a dead Lord. 

But He did not stay dead. 

He did what no other man could ever do and rose from the dead. He truly is Lord. Through Him, the fear of death has been removed for us.

Thank you Lord for the eternal life we have in You.

Thank you for Easter Sunday! 

97 - Easter Saturday

'And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. ' (Matthew 27:59) 

What is there to be thankful for in Easter Saturday? Yes, the crucifixion had defeated sin. Yet Christ lay dead in the tomb. The disciples must have felt like everything was over. 

Yet we can be thankful today, because we knew it was not. The darkness was going to be broken with light. The tears would turn to joy. 

We can be thankful because this life we live right now is a bit like Easter Saturday. We're in an 'in-between' stage. 

Easter Sunday is coming...

96 - Good Friday

For many, that Friday morning in Jerusalem must have felt like any other. The law system moved on, criminals were sentenced to death under Roman law. The sun rose as they slowly died. 

Yet how many realised this one day was to change everything for the whole of humanity - past, present and future? 

How many knew that this day had been 'determined' by God before the world had even been formed?

How many knew that the man dying on the cross was both the greatest King the world had even seen and the most humble servant it would ever know?

The man on the cross suffered the most agonising death ever, and He did it willingly - because He loved His Father. 

And He went further. 

He forgave his weak disciples - men who were supposed to be his friends, yet at the first sign of trouble ran, betrayed and denied. He healed the servant of a soldier who came to arrest him. He asked for God to forgive those who mocked Him. 

One word to His Father, and all the angel armies of heaven could have swooped to His rescue. But He never asked. 

Instead, He breathed His last painful breathe for every sinner that ever had lived and ever would live. Us. 

Pilate could find no fault with him. A Roman guard knew. A criminal dying beside him knew. 

Yet we so easily forget. 

We forget the most pure and holy Man ever died for the vilest of sinners - US. 

May we never ever stop giving thanks for the miracle that was Good Friday! 

95 - Those who look for the good in people

The truth of it is, there's a lot of bad in people. We're sinners, after all. We're proud. Angry. Fearful. Annoying. Spiteful.

And yet...

There are those who look beyond the sin. I don't mean they pretend it isn't there. I mean they recognise that we are all as bad as each other. They recognise there is still much good to be found - good that God has been growing within them over the years. Any good in people's lives is because of God. How easily we forget that.

These people recognise that the long and boring story someone's telling you might be an attempt to be friendly. They recognise the questions the dentist throws at you as you sit in their chair with your mouth full of tubes might be an attempt to put you at ease and pass the time that could be awkward for them too.

I wish I was like this. All too often I'm quick to see the negative, to complain behind backs, to gossip.

If only I could remember to look with the eyes of a man who saw a heart of love and worship in the social outcast of a woman who cried at his feet, who saw a leader in the disciple who denied him.

I want to look at people as Christ did!

Until I can grow in this way, I will be thankful for the people God placed in my life to remind me to look for the good in people, not tear them down for the bad.

Thank you God for the ultimate example of your Son, for the Spirit who makes us more like You that we can look at people as You do!

94 - Clouds

'...the clouds are the dust of his feet.' (Nahum 1:3)

I personally love the sunny days when the sky is clear and blue best. But the clouds, and their various appearances, contain much to be thankful for. 

When they are heavy grey and throwing rain down to the ground, it can be hard to beam upwards and say 'Dear Lord...thank you for the clouds!' But as I mentioned in my very first blog post, we can even be grateful for the rain and the life it gives to our earth. 

When the sun breaks through in beams and rays of light, we can look up and be thankful for the beauty; thankful for that the wet misery is not forever. Just like the trials of life - the sun's always there, even if we can't see it. 

And when the sun sinks into the horizon and sets the clouds aflame into glorious colours of red, gold, yellow, orange and pink, we can catch our breath and be thankful for the beauty, thank you for the indications of fine weather the next day and thankful for the faint reflection of the eternal splendour we shall one day enjoy in heaven forever, all because of our Saviour. 

Thank you Father for the clouds. 

93 - Photographs

'...forget not all his benefits...' (Psalm 103:2)

Mum's been sorting out some old photos of ours into albums and I recently used a voucher to get 200 pictures printed all nice and shiny. 

This reminded me how thankful we should be for photographs. How many memories would we have lost without them? How many fun days would become a blur without the visual reminders? 

Pictures from space point us to the glory of our Creator. 

Pictures of family, friends, our world - they are all reminders of the many, many blessings He has given us. They are promises that He will continue to keep blessing us far beyond what we deserve. 

He's been good in the past. 
He's being good in the present. 
He will be good in the future. 

THANK YOU LORD!!! 

92 - Dustbin men

I can't imagine that being a dustbin man is one of the most popular jobs in the world. Maybe some kids think that's want they want to be when they're younger - I wonder how long that lasts.

Yet it's a job that needs to be done. I remember the dustbin men going on strike in Southampton once - not pretty. We need people to do this job, yet how often do we leave our bins out on a Monday morning and take it for granted that they will be emptied? We'd soon notice if they weren't!

God, thank you for those who regularly empty our bins - a job that must be so thankless, yet is so important. May I never overlook the importance of people like this.

91 - The Unstoppable Growth of God's Kingdom

'And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how...“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?..It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” (Mark 4:26-27, 30-32) 



Recently our church had the privilege of Jeff Purswell visiting. He preached a sermon on the passage quoted above, and it was such a huge encouragement, as well as a reminder of yet another reason we can thank God. 

I don't know about you, but when it comes to telling others about Christ, I feel like a huge failure. I can't think of ways to bring up such conversations, and if the opportunity ever arose, I'm sure my mouth would dry up. I look back on past conversations with friends from sixth form and wonder if I should have said more, or said it better. The thing most important to me is the thing I can't even talk about with the passion it deserves. 

Well. That's OK. 

Because I am a failure. But Christ is always victorious. He was the one who planted the seed of His kingdom. And it's growing, regardless of how useless an evangelist I am. 

If someone doesn't get saved, it's not because I wasn't good enough. God doesn't look down and go 'Whoops! Should have sent someone else!'

No. He knows our weaknesses, yet He uses us anyway, helping us grow stronger in the process.

Thank you God that the growth of your kingdom is not reliant on us. Thank you for using us despite this. Thank you this can encourage us to share your word all the more! 

90 - Strength for tiredness.

'...they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength...' (Isaiah 40:31) 

This week I served at a conference that meant I had to get up at 6:30 in the morning two days in a row, something my body was not used to. What's more, the conference ran late which meant I went to bed late. 

Needless to say, this made me feel pretty tired. 

How do we cope with tiredness? Physical exhaustion? The reminder we live in a fallen world, and cannot keep going forever?

Because God gives us the strength we need. We have food to give us energy; sleep to help us recover. And determination. 

How else could new parents keep rising every night to attend to their new child?

How else could a father come home after a long day at work and still make time to play with his children and help his wife around the house? 

Thank you Lord that, not only do you give us strength when we're tired, you have also promised to one day give us eternal rest in Christ. How we long for that day! 

89 - Memorised Scripture

'I have stored up your word in my heart...' (Psalm 119:11) 

We know in our heads that memorising Scripture is of such spiritual benefit to Christians. But it's all the more wonderful when verses directly apply to a moment in our lives. 

For example, I was in Bath this week and I had to walk through it a night. Normally, I would've been fine with this. I mean, Bath is posh, right? What's the worst that can happen in it? Well, the day before I'd seen this guy in a shop threatening people and shouting abuse at them and didn't really fancy running into someone like him at night! 

But as I walked, verses from Psalm 23 came to my mind. 

'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.' (v. 4)

Yeah, I know I wasn't exactly facing death. But it was still such a huge comfort. A reminder nothing's more powerful than God; that fear itself loses all its power to scare us.  A reminder that His presence watches over us always. I walked through that city with far more confidence. 

Your word is powerful Lord. And I thank you for giving me a mind capable of storing it! 

88 - Worship Leaders

'...the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.' (John 4:23)

On Friday evening, my Mum, brother, sister and I had the blessing of attending a worship evening lead by Matt Redman and Christy Nockles. 

And it was INCREDIBLE. 

I love those moments of worship when God's presence is so strong that you don't want it to stop; you just want to keep on singing and dancing and worshipping the God you love so, so much. 

It takes a gifted worship leader to lead a congregation in that direction. 

But what makes a worship leader even more of a gift from God is when he points not to himself, but to the one we worship. 

'He must increase but I must decrease.'

Matt Redman is such a leader. 

And people like that are truly something we can thank God for. 


(Who knows? Maybe they'll lead worship in heaven? Or maybe we won't need leaders, because we'll be so full of joy from being in the actual presence of God!

I guess we'll have to wait and see!)

87 - Knitted Jumpers

Does much need saying on this?

As long as it's not the horrible itchy kind of wool, it's so nice in the cold weathers to grab a jumper from your wardrobe, pull it on and enjoy its cosy warmth. 

But who made the sheep on whose back the wool grew?

Who made the plants used to make the dye?

All things, all good things, come from Him. God. Our Loving Father.

May we not take them for granted. 

Thank you God for woolly jumpers! 

86 - Spring's first flowers

'For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth...' (Song of Solomon 2:11-12)  

I was walking through the park on a cold, grey day recently. Thoughts and anxieties, particularly about the future, filled my mind and I felt tired and very, very depressed. 

Then I saw them. 

Even though it still felt like a winter's day, a few crocus flowers had pushed their way out of the ground. And that simple sight was enough to put a smile on my face. 

Because no matter what we're going through, it doesn't last forever, no matter how it might feel it does. Winter will be over and Spring is nearer than we think. 

And God has given us all these small and simple beauties to remind us of the Eternal Joy that awaits us. 

So, thank you God for being there always and reminding us of your presence with the little things of life. Thank you that the grey of Winter doesn't last forever. New life awaits.

Thank you Lord! 

85 - The wind

'The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.' (John 3:8)

We've had some crazy weather here in England recently. Wind so strong that trees are knocked over and when you walk it practically carries you along with it. 

Wind can be dangerous, demolishing anything in its path.

It can just be annoying, stealing your scarf and blowing your hair all over the place (mostly if you're a girl. Guys don't tend to have this problem so much...)

But, like everything else, we can be thankful for it too. 

The wind blows the rain clouds to refresh our grounds - and it blows them away again that the sun may come through again. 

It pulls the autumn leaves from the branches, allowing new ones to grow at spring time. 

And it's a reminder that something invisible can still exist, still have great power, even if we can't see it. Because we see the effects it has. 

Much like our Lord. 

Thank you God for the wind. 

84 - Lie-ins

'...he gives to his beloved sleep' (Psalm 127:2)

A bonus of working from home is the freedom to choose when to get up. I get a great deal of satisfaction in snoozing my alarm and snuggling back down under the duvet. If I was really mean, I might say that the fact my two sisters have to get up earlier than me makes the chance to lie in all the more sweeter...

...But I'd never say such a thing! 

In all seriousness, the chance to lie in - for most people, Saturday morning - is a blessing we shouldn't let slide. 

God created us for work, but made a day especially for resting too. 

Let's thank Him for it!





(I write a post like this, but if I ever became a mum and I had a child who was indulging in a lie-in for longer than they should, I might be tempted to march in and yell Proverbs 6:9 at them.

'HOW LONG WILL YOU LIE THERE, O SLUGGARD? WHEN WILL YOU ARISE FROM YOUR SLEEP?' 

But that's just me ;)    )

83 - Boasting in Christ

'But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.' (Galatians 6:14)

I want to establish at the start that I judge no-one with what I write. The only heart I know is my own, and I thank God He sees and forgives it. 

There's a very fine line between sharing good news with others and boasting of our own achievements. Christmas news letters can be a stumbling block in this area. Social networks could be another.

Grades.
Jobs. 
Children.
House. 
Friends. 

King Solomon had one word for them all. VANITY. Without Christ, it's all empty, all pointless. When we stand before God, is He going to be impressed by how many GCSES we got? How well behaved our children were? 

No. 

All that matters is Christ, and how we glorified Him. Earthly achievements can do this, but it's a very, very hard balance to make. 

That's why I'm thankful for the humble and godly people in my life who are so full of love for their Saviour and what He's done, that they can barely stand to speak a sentence without referring to Him. 

OK, so that was slightly exaggerated, but you get the idea. 

What wins people to Christ? Their own achievements - or His greatest on the cross? 

Lord, remind me of this when I'm stressing over my next assignment.

I thank you that I can be a HUGE failure in earthly terms...because Christ was the greatest success in Your terms. And because of Him, I am too. 

May I boast only in You!