Praise Him! And, Have a Thankful Heart! // Winner Announced!

Hi Everyone~

I hope you are having a fantastic week!  Have you been busy spending time with the Lord?  I have been so joyful since we were up in Maryland for this long weekend!  It was so wonderful to go to church with a family member.  I went with Dave's Dad.  He is such a wonderful man.  Such a Godly man.  I am so honored to be a part of his family. They are each wonderful--in their own way!  "I always thank God for you."  1 Corinthians 1:4

Now, for any of this to make sense, you need to remember that I go to church via the Internet.  My church sends the service "Live" so I can worship with them.  And, they also send it as a recorded message in the newsletter.  (Which I have posted on the side bar.)  I am so blessed that they do this...because, it is a 45 minute drive to Northland Church, and I don't drive, and I can not sit for long amounts of time.When you consider the 45 minutes each way, the 15 minutes of standing in the lobby, the 1 hour long service...it adds up to a lot of sitting.  And, a lot of sitting really impacts the amount of pain I will have. It is much worse. So, I participate from home.  Also, on Wednesdays, they have a Question and Answer session for anyone...and again...it is set up so that people all around the world who have Internet can participate.  We type in our questions, as the Congregation in the Sanctuary are writing theirs...and our lead Pastor answers them to the best of his ability.  Isn't that cool?  It's like an oral exam on everything in the Bible, plus questions about how we live our lives...we could ask just about anything.  I love that! 

Well on this past Sunday, my Father-in-Law and I went to church in one of the buildings they have in this enormous and beautiful retirement campus.  We didn't go to the Chapel, where he usually attends.  I just couldn't get up that early...I was exhausted from the trip...and, my medications were working hard on me. 

Well, the service we went to was in a building where most of the people are in their 90's and are in wheel chairs, or they were wheeled around in their beds.  I have had to use a cane for most of the 12+ years since I was injured.  Just recently, I have given it up.  I tell you that these people were still making a joyful noise to the Lord!  Those that could, found some way to Praise Him!  They clinked their rings on the metal part of their chair or bed. They read along slowly...but they read along, when we were asked to read!  I was so blessed by this service, with the old hymns.  The words were beautiful. They had residents from the other buildings come and sing the hymns...I don't think we would normally call all of the noise in this room a  joyful noise.  But, I am sure He does!

And, no one stood up.  I wasn't sure of this at first.  I figured we all praise Him as we can.  But, no, in wheelchair etiquette you don't stand when most of the people can't.  It felt so awkward not to stand at certain points.  It was a great awareness for me.  I now know a way to make people in wheel chairs feel a bit less ostracized when we sit together.

I learned so much just by showing up!  I'm not even going into what the actual service was about!  This all happened within the first few moments. 

So, do you sing out when you are in church? Or do you mouth the words or whisper? Don't worry if you have a voice that is musically challenged! You are singing to Him...not your neighbors or the Pastor. Try singing praise to Him while you are cleaning...pick a tune...like row, row a boat...and put your praise into that tune...or your prayer requests for others. If it helps you remember Him...then it works! Do your knees still support you well? Then use them to bend at the knee and Praise Him! Can you drive? How about picking up someone who wants to go to church, but can not drive for one reason or another? You will be blessed, I am sure. (If you are a teen--please make sure you check with Mom or Dad...first!)

I think it would be a blessing to you and the residents if you went to a local nursing home, and went to one of their church services...if they are held on the premises at all. You will realize so many blessings in your life. And, you will realize how the Lord used the elderly in the Congregation to teach us even more about having a thankful & giving heart.

I feel so blessed to be walking...slowly...but I am walking!  And, I praise the Lord for that!  I can shout to the Lord...I have a voice so that I can thank Him!  I can even sing to the Lord a new song...now this is a bit more iffy... I have a voice, to human ears it isn't sweet...but I think that the way that He hears it...it must sound good.  After all, He continues to let me sing to Him.  I am able...because He IS Able!  And, I thank Him for that...for all that He is...and for all that He does for us...and for how he loves us so much. 

The Winner of the He IS Able Weekly Card Challenge is...

Chrissy D.!

Congratulations, Chris!  You won this with no competition!  You were the  1 comment from this past week...so you win this week's beautiful card, made by Phyllis aka SparklePlenty1000 at SCS!!  And, since you were the only person to leave a comment.  I am going to make this twice worth your while...I will send you an extra card, envelope and postage!  Please email me your snail mail address BEFORE 8pm on Tuesday, and I will get  this right out to you!  (If for some reason you do not want these gorgeous cards, then simply don't send me your address.)  You can however, still participate in this week's challenges.  You can also qualify to win again next week...just leave a comment--like everyone else---before 8pm, Tuesday...and you will all be entered in the random drawing for the "Card of the Week."



Card of the Week
Think PINK!

 This "Card of the Week"  is made by an by incredible woman inside and out!  She is a great listener, very generous, puts others before herself, and loves to pray.  

Her pink card for this

week was chosen for this week because of all of the PINK activities going on around the world to stop breast cancer!  The card is beautiful...it has 4 different squares below the raised and glittery heart in the center.  It is matted on pink...with white card stock below that!  It has 4 flowers on the left, and says, "To Someone Special."  You can send this beautiful card to anyone who is special to in your life!  Leave a comment before Tuesday evening at 8pm, and you may win this beautiful card.  I love it!

I will be posting cards again on Friday!  Please stop by and take a look!
And, please remember to Praise Him with a Thankful Heart!

Remember~
He IS Able!
Traci S.

p.s.  Please remember to "Click IT!"