Going Through The Motions!!

Well, today did not start out well.   Woke up at 4:30a.m. to bronchospasms.  One of the delights of COPD and changing weather.  After a breathing treatment and a small nap, I did manage to get the recipe posted for the cookies I made yesterday.  Hope you all can enjoy them.  They are going fast here.  I did make it to church this morning with my daughter. That is where I got my slap to the forehead.  Pastor was talking about how blessed he was and how he was so grateful to God for all of his blessings.  He was so passionate about it it.  It got me thinking about how blessed I was, despite my many health issues.  More then that, it got me to thinking about how I show God I am grateful for my blessings.  I do pray daily, try to live the way He wants me to, and somehow, it doesn't seem like enough.  That is when the words, "Going through the motions" came to my head.  Often as Christians we think that we are doing exactly what we need to do in order to live a life in Christ.  We pray, we don't smoke or drink, don't curse, etc..  But that is doing whats expected, isn't it?  What if we took our gratitude one step further?  What if we actually did and said it like we mean it?  For example, if I tell my kids and my husband "I love you" just in passing, does it mean the same as if I actually stop everything I am doing, look at them, and say "I love you so much and am truly blessed to have you in my life."  I can tell you from my daughters and sons own mouths, the second statement means more.  Psalm 100:1-5 "A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

So this is my own challenge, as well as my challenge to you.  The next time you pray or give thanks to God, turn everything off.  Give Him your full attention.  Then, don't just say the words.  Say them like you mean them.  Give Him your passion, love, and heart.  Give Him your burdens, apprehensions, and fears.  He is there for it all.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  He wants to be there for you.  You just have to let him!  God Bless!!!