"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name." Psalm 103:1
Sometimes my soul is telling me things that I don't fully comprehend, but that I need to give attention to. On occasion, it is some pang in my soul that something is not right with me and I need to confess it to God. At other times there is a hollowness that is saying to me that I can't find all of my satisfaction in this life - there is more to come to fill that hunger inside. And on days like today, I woke up with my soul telling me how blessed I am and it seemed to be calling out to God from a deep place inside of me. So, I am just thinking on the fly about how blessed I am as an act of praise to God.
Jesus Christ - In my reading this morning in the Word of God, I was face to face with the crucifixion of Jesus. To think that God put skin on and died for me to satisfy the justice of the Father, to think that He loves the world (and me) that much - it really is incomprehensible. I am blessed to be able to go behind the veil in my relationship with the Father because of the work of Christ on my behalf. You can't be any more blessed than knowing and loving Jesus because He really is the whole blessing (note Ephesians 1:3).
My wife - I really have the best wife in the world. She's loving to me, incredibly low maintenance (in all the good ways), a fantastic mom, a great cook, and an all around Godly woman. She's fun, yet she has real class. She is a blessing to me - and it doesn't hurt that she still looks REALLY good. God made her for Himself first, but I am thankful that He had me in mind when He made her as well.
My boys - I love everything about my guys. They are individuals for sure, but they are cool to hang with together or seperately. They are talented, brave, kind, smart and healthy. I still question how they got to be that way with my gene pool watering them down, but I am blessed to have them, and they are a blessing to me.
Our church - We have an incredible church. I love the people of The Chapel at CrossPoint in Buffalo, NY (www.thechapelatcrosspoint.com). I love the spirit in this community of faith, and I love where we are headed. I love the fact that God has opened the door for our church to grow horizontally (www.thechapelatelmwood.com), and that we are just beginning in the vision God has laid on our hearts to ensure that every man, woman, and child has a repeated opportunity to hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ within our circle of accountability.
Our team - I have always been a team guy. I played team sports, and I believe that church, and leadership, is a team sport. Sure, there are always point people, but, as a friend of mine says, "You need a team to fulfill a dream." I love the team that I work and serve alongside. They are great men and women with a heart for God, and I am blessed to be able to learn with and from them.
A healthy soul - It is not all the time in my life that I would say that my soul is in great condition. But it is today, and I can only thank God for that blessing. When we have a well-watered soul, it is amazing how much gratitude grows in that kind of soil. I really think that to have a healthy soul, we must have a grateful soul. Gratitude is a sign of health - a big sign.
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
