Please and Thank You

When we're young we are taught to say "please" and "thank you". I remember a number of occassions being prevented from getting whatever it was I'd asked for, because I'd not said "the magic word"! Do you have similar memories?

All those times have done their job though, as I'd say I definitely say "please" and "thank you" whenever I'm asking someone for something, or I'm given something.

But wait a minute, do I really always say "please" and "thank you"? Well I do always say thank you to those around me, but now I stop and think about it, there is one person I very often take for granted and never say "thank you" to, although I often say "please" to them as I'm often asking for so much from them...and who is that?

I'm sure you've realised by now I'm talking about God. How many times today have you said "thank you" to God? What about this week, how many time have you thanked God for all He does for you?

Now count how many times you've said "please" to God today when you've been asking Him for something? And what about in the last week, how many times have you asked God for something?

If you're anything like me, you'll probably find the "please's" far outnumber the "thank you's"!

Do something about that now, say "thank you God" for all God has done for you, and for all He continues to do for you.

Give God the Glory He truly deserves.

My Tribute (To God be the Glory) - Sissel and the Oslo Gospel Choir

How can I say thanks

For the things you have done for me

Things so undeserved

Yet You gave to prove your love for me

The voices of a million angels

Could not express my gratitude

All that I am and ever hope to be

I owe it all to thee

To God be the glory, to God be the glory

To God be the glory,

For the things He has done

With His blood He has saved me

With His power He has raised me

To God be the glory,

For the things He has done

Just let me live my life

And let it be pleasing Lord to thee

And should I gain any praise

Let it go to Calvary

With His blood He has saved me

With His power He has raised me

To God be the glory

For the things He has done

To God be the glory, to God be the glory

To God be the glory,

For the things He has done

With His blood He has saved me

With His power He has raised me

To God be the glory,

For the things He has done

Peterborough Weekend

I'm in His hands, I'm in His hands,
Whatever the future holds
I'm in His hands.
The days I cannot see
Have all been planned for me;
His way is best you see;
I'm in His hands.

I shared those words with you last week, when I told you of some difficult days ahead for me. Well I've survived those days! It's certainly not been plain sailing but God has certainly held me in His hand during the last few day. I certainly wouldn't have got through them as well as I have without Him!

Our weekend visit to Peterborough Salvation Army was absolutely fantastic, and I'm delighted to say a number of people even knelt at the Mercy Seat during the Sunday morning service which was led by David Kendall. There was great atmosphere in the meeting - God was most certainly there, and working!

Well it was such an emotional meeting for me with Olwyn Mathie singing "Written In Red" which as always she sang so beautifully and with so much feeling, and the congregational song "The Power of Your Love" that both always really touched me, that I fell apart during the meeting and found myself kneeling at the Mercy Seat! I'm still not quite sure how I got myself there!

It was an emotional day for me not just because of the morning service, but during the afternoon service I didn't feel too well again so had to stop playing with band. I really had hoped I'd have managed to get through the weekend pain free, but at least it was the last meeting of the weekend before it happened I suppose.

Thank you God for holding me close these last few days, they've been tough but through your strength I've made it through.

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for me particularly over these last few days - I really do appreciate your prayers and your support.

I'd also like to thank those in Bellshill Band and Peterborough corps who offered their support during the weekend, I was much appreciated.

Thank you all.

Thank You God

Saying thank you is something we all get taught to say at a very early age. We're taught to say thank you whenever someone gives us something or does something for us. But how often do we stop and say thank you to God?

God knows that saying thank you doesn't always come easily or naturally to us. However he does command us to be thankful.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving: go into his courts with praise.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

We often bring our sins and guilt offerings to God, but still forget to say thank you to Him. You might wonder, "what have I to thank God for?". Even when you feel you have nothing to thank God for, you must still try to be thankful, even if that just means thanking God for allowing us the ability to thank him!

Spend a few minutes thinking about the things you can thank God for today. here are a few suggestions:

• Thank him for knowing you and caring about you
• Thank him for your family
• Thank him for your friends

Remember to thank God regularly for all he does, no matter how you are feeling or what you're experiencing.

Thank you God.

Thank You

Today I'd like to say thank you to all my family and all my friends for their love and understanding they've given to me over the years.

I know I for one can often take my family and friends for granted, so that's why today I want to say thank you to each of you. Don't put off saying "thank you" or "I love you" to someone close to you, as you never know when might be the last time you see them!

Sorry, I didn't mean to go all morbid there! All I'm trying to say is, don't take your family and friends for granted, so many people have no one and would be so grateful for just one friend.

The most important friend we can have in our life though, is of course Jesus. He like every other friend, should not be taken for granted, so when you pray, say thank you to God for all He does for you, and tell Him you love Him.

What A Friend I've Found (Martin Smith)
What a friend I've found
Closer than a brother
I have felt your touch
More intimate than lovers

Jesus, Jesus
Jesus, friend forever

What a hope I've found
More faithful than a mother
It would break my heart
To ever lose each other

Checkout the Delirious website: http://www.delirious.co.uk/html/

Thank You God

Earlier today I noticed that my blog had reached 2000 hits - Wow! Believe it or not I was lost for words when I saw the number of hits had reached the 2000 mark.

I feel so humbled by the number of people who have read my blog. So I would like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to each and every one of you who have taken the time to read this blog.


To those of you who have left comments or contacted me via Twitter (follow me on Twitter) or email and given me words of encouragement and support, I'd like to thank you all - it has been great to know your thoughts about what I've had to say, and I've felt particularly honoured when you've told me my blog has been "just what you needed" at that time.

So, I've thanked you for read my blog, and now I want to thank God for giving me the direction and inspiration to write it. If you'd asked me this time last year if I'd be blogging about my faith and experiences of God, I'd have told you not to be so daft as I'd never be able to do something like that - It just shows what I know!

If God is speaking to you and asking you to do something you think you cannot do - Trust God, He will give you the tools you need to do His work.

Thank You God

Where would we be today if God hadn't sent His son to earth to live among us. To live among us and then give the ultimate price, His life...just so we could be forgiven of all our sins.

Without God in our lives we are nothing. I find it impossible to think what my life would have been like if I had not been brought up in a Christian family and taken along to the Salvation Army for a very early age. That's why I for one find myself thanking God over and over again, for being part of my life.

Don't take God for granted. He knows you by name and know everything about you. Thank Him today for being there for you and helping and guiding you through each day.

Here's a song by Matt Redman entitled "Once Again" - it expresses our thanks to God sending Jesus to earth to die at Calvary, and acknowledges how inadequate without God in our lives.




You can checkout Matt Redman's website at: http://www.mattredman.com/