When my husband was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, we received a packet of information from the cancer center. The large envelope included various forms, contact numbers, booklets on what to expect, nutritional information, and other resources for patients and their families. Among the papers, I also came across an offer of free parking … Continue reading The Hospitality of the Church Parking Lot
One evening my husband said to me as he often does, “Thank you for a good day.” That morning I had picked up the prescriptions he needed from the pharmacy. I worked on my sermon, then helped him organize some files for his Learning New Testament Greek video project. He felt up to driving to … Continue reading Today Was a Good Day
I love playing with words, whether it's relaxing with a New York Times crossword puzzle, or learning to solve cryptic crosswords, or using different letters to paraphrase Psalm 23. So for my last sermon, I thought of including my own acrostic psalm of thanks in keeping with my sermon text from Psalm 111. "I will … Continue reading Thanks Be to God!
I paid a visit to one of our church seniors who has not been able to participate in worship as she once did. Yet while she feels physically weak in some ways, her spirit remains as strong as ever, for when I asked, "How are you?" she said, "I'm so grateful that I hardly know … Continue reading Thanksgiving Sunday Gratitude Journal
In July of this year, I decided to cut back on writing in this space from weekly to every second week. By doing so, I hoped to make more writing room for my new book project and to ease what sometimes felt like a relentless pace of blogging. Today I'm making an exception with this … Continue reading The Gratitude Gift That Keeps on Giving
Praise the Lord! I thank the Lord with all my heart. . . . Psalm 111 is one of my favourite psalms of thanksgiving, from these exuberant opening words of thanks, through the great works of God that form the centerpiece of the psalm, to the closing affirmation: God's praise lasts forever! Here are five reasons to be … Continue reading 5 Reasons to Be Inspired by Psalm 111
Last year I started a gratitude journal, so every evening I would reflect on five things that made me grateful and write them down. I tried to be specific and not repeat myself from one evening to the next, and I came to love the practice as a way of reviewing my day and giving … Continue reading How to Inspire a Rather Large Amount of Gratitude
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits-- (Psalm 103:1-2, New Revised Standard Version) Over and over again, Psalm 103 says, "Bless the Lord--Bless the Lord--Bless the Lord--Bless the Lord--Bless the Lord--Bless the Lord!" It's … Continue reading Three Wonderful Ways You Can Bless the Lord
April Yamasaki 