THE POWER OF PRAISE

Dear Crosswalkers,
 
What a lovely time of the year to reflect on the goodness of God and the power of cultivating a grateful heart!
 
I’m grateful to be a part of a church family that is dedicated to missions. It is hard to imagine all the good being done in this world, and all the lives that are being changed, and all the souls that are coming to faith because we have made the commitment to be a church in mission.
 
I’m grateful to be a part of a church family committed to God’s truth. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8 NIV).I’m grateful to be a part of a church family committed to children. I’m writing from our new office spaces behind the stage in our worship center. This week, the work of transforming our old office building into a CHILDREN’S MINISTRY CENTER has begun! Thank you, Lord, for leading us to prioritize the next generation of believers!
I’m grateful for a church family that loves to worship God and sing his praises!
 
I’m grateful for being a part of a caring family of believers.
 
I’m grateful to God for you!
 
Here are some powerful thanksgiving quotes:
 
The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank. The converse of this proposition is also true… The great saint may be said to mix all his thoughts with thanks. All goods look better when they look like gifts… It is the highest and holiest of the paradoxes that the one who really knows he cannot pay his debt will be forever paying it… He will be always throwing things away into a bottomless pit of unfathomable thanks.       - C. K. Chesterton
 
But the most obvious fact about praise—whether of God or anything—strangely escaped me…. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…. The world rings with praise—lovers praising their (loved one), readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game… I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.      - C.S. Lewis
               
A humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grows.   - Henry Ward Beecher
 
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.   - Cicero
 
It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It’s gratefulness that makes us happy.    - David Steindl-Rast
 
 
On behalf of our entire leadership team, I wish you all a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Pastor John