His praise shall continually be on my lips

Wow, the last day of June is here already! Later this week we will celebrate America's independence. I still remember last year when we went to a fish fry at my great-aunt's house for the 4th. Hard to believe that has been a full year ago! Today marks 35 years since my parents got married ... wow! My life is flying!

I meant to write a bit about my grandparents the other day when I posted a few pictures of them. Mama has been in Greenville with them the last couple of weeks. Since she has some time off in the summer, she has done this the last few years so she can help them with various tasks. She told me the other night that Pop has been saying how he keeps thinking at night that he will go to bed and wake up in heaven. And he seems really disappointed the next morning to wake up and still be alive on earth! Thankfully Pop is a cheery person despite the fact he is ready for Home. It's so ordinary to be visiting his house and for him to go lie down for a nap only for us to hear singing instead of snores coming from the bedroom! :-) He lies there belting out all sorts of praise songs to Jesus. It brings a smile to my face imagining Pop graduating from practicing here to singing with the choirs of Heaven! What a glorious thought! No wonder he is ready to go. Often these days, I feel similarly.

Praising God is so important and I don't do it enough! Having an attitude of thanksgiving keeps us from being discouraged and complaining and being mean to one another. You can't exactly live down in the dumps, express your discontent with life, politics and the price of food and oil and curse your neighbor while you have genuine thanksgiving to God in your heart and on your lips. The Psalms are full of praise to our Almighty God. David says His praise will continually be on his lips. I admit that I struggle with murmuring when things seem hopeless and situations are frustrating. I have been this way for too long and too much lately. It has done nothing but hold me down, make me feel serious and not enjoy this wonderful life God has given me. It has made me feel self-pity and downtrodden and wonder if this life is even worth living. I've had one of those "what's the use?" attitudes. I hate when I get this way.

Sooooo .... I am going to start praising the Lord. I have to remind myself to rejoice in my God and not get down about my circumstances. Who is bigger? God or my problems? Pop is a great example. He keeps praise constantly on his lips by singing praises to the Lord. I can learn from him and be joyful.

I am a child of the King of Kings...why am I worried and frustrated? We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And God so loved the world that He gave. Even while we were yucky, rotten sinners in rebellion against God, He looked at us with compassion and love and did for us what we never could do for ourselves. We were people in bondage to our own filth and sinful ways. Really, even now I cannot grasp how awful sin is to God, but I was covered in my own filthy, sinful ways when God reached down, cleaned me off with the blood of His dear Son and set my feet on a Rock. He didn't leave me trapped in a pit of filth, but He established where I am going. And He promised to be with me and never forsake me. In a country where so many people are forsaken by those who vowed to love and cherish them and where friendships are often shallow, it is wonderful to know that God is faithful and keeps His promises. He doesn't remove the storms from life, but He walks with us through them. If God be for us, who can be against us?

Thank you, God, for the hope that I have in You. Please help me keep my eyes on You instead of focusing on the discouraging news in this world. YOU are bigger than those things. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

My God reigns! Hallelujah!