Musings from a thankful heart

I am thankful that the Lord is faithful to do in me what He demands from me.  I am thankful that instead of making life easy, He makes it hard in order that patience, endurance and strength will be cultivated in me.  I am thankful that even in the midst of calamity, persecution and pain, Jesus was GENTLE  and thus I have a model to follow.  I am thankful that when I do not know what to do, my eyes can be upon Him because He does know!  I am thankful that when I do not know what lies ahead, He does know the plans He has for  me and He says in His word that those plans are good! I am thankful that He can give peace that surpasses all understanding, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus and change both to sing His praises instead of my complaints.  I am thankful that God changes hearts, that He draws people to Himself, that He makes all things new.  I am thankful for Jesus, thankful that He took the wrath that I deserved and nailed it to the cross with Himself in my place.  I am thankful that when I sin for the umpteenth time in the same way, that Jesus reminds me of the blood that washes me clean and allows me to approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that He paid for that sin and I am forgiven, I am free to sing, free to dance, free to pursue putting on gentleness in place of my ugliness instead of being tied down with guilt.  I am thankful that I am called to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving to make my requests known to God .... anxious for nothing! What freedom is in that call! Oh that I may walk in it!  I am also thankful for coffee :)