Tag: praise

Traveling Mercies

On By vickleaIn God’s blessings, praise, promises, Scripture5 Comments

This year has been one of a great deal of travel for me and my family members. Our grandson went to Japan while our granddaughter went to Ireland and then on a cruise around the Greek Isles. Our son went on a business trip to Germany. The trips my husband and I made this year were not as distant, but there were a lot of them. Starting with four graduations in May, we stayed on the road for almost three weeks that month. It seemed that we barely got home when we packed the car again and headed to Myrtle Beach, SC, to see my brother and his family who had flown in from Colorado. Returning from that trip, we spent a few weeks at home, then headed out to Maryland to see our son and his family. And this past weekend was our last trip of the summer. We went to Williamsburg to the Great Wolf Lodge to spend the weekend with our other son and his family. I would not trade any of those hours in the car for anything since my husband and I both got so much pleasure from seeing our children and grandchildren.

One of the things that I purposed to do this year is memorize more scripture verses. One of those became like my mantra for the year.

There was a lot of going out and coming in this year for ourselves and our children and grandchildren. They are still on the move, with one in college at Liberty, one actively seeing employment and one employed and traveling for work. This Psalm has been on my lips as a prayer for us and for our family members as they travel. The promise of traveling mercies is real. Harry and I put a lot of miles on these old bodies this year, and God was with us the whole way, just as He promised. Did unexpected things happen while we traveled? Of course, but nothing that God could not help us handle. When God promises, you can count on His acting on your behalf!

How about you? Did you go anywhere special? Did you pray before, during and after your trip for the traveling mercies that God provides?

He’s A Big, Big God

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, YouVersion App4 Comments

Deep Confidence in a Big God (YouVersion, Daily Refresh, 5-16-25)

Before the telescope was invented, all that was known about the sky above was what could be seen with the naked eye.

Now, thanks to advances in modern technology, we are aware of far-off galaxies, stunning nebulas, and mysterious black holes. Now, we realize that our knowledge was (and still is) severely limited. 

There’s something about staring up at a blanket of stars that beckons wonder. There’s something about a watercolor sunset that invites curiosity. There’s something about standing on top of a giant rock—that’s suspended on nothing in the middle of a massively complex universe—that invites worship.

We are merely discovering what God has put here in the first place. And the more we uncover, the more we are filled with awe.

Yes, the heavens remind us of God’s majesty; the skies remind us of His splendor. But they also remind us of how big He is and how small we are. They remind us of His vastness and our limitations, and of His independence and our utter dependence on Him.

So whenever you see a star-filled sky, are stopped in your tracks by a brilliant sunrise, or read about some extraordinary discovery on the fringes of space, don’t forget to praise the One who has created and sustained it all along.

My Thoughts

If this trip of over 1000 miles this week has taught me anything, it has taught me to look around me at the wonderful world that God has given us to enjoy. I have looked at the mountains of PA, the rolling hills there and the beautiful sunset after a mostly rainy day. I have seen the green, mountainous landscape of West Virginia, the flat farmlands all along the way and the beautiful flowering trees and plants. God created and put us here to enjoy it. We see, we are grateful and more than that, God’s creation teaches us to trust. In times of change, like having three grandchildren whom I held as infants graduate from college, it is a good time to remember that God does not and will not change. He is always as close as our next prayer. I am deeply grateful for all that God has allowed me to see and experience. I know that He is a big, big God because of all He has done and continues to do for me.

Today, we head home (yes, that was a big sigh of relief), and tomorrow is the final college graduation of our oldest grandson. God continues to amaze me with the talents he has given these young adults and the way I am certain He will use them if they will let Him. There are a lot of miles on this body and so many steps over the last ten days that I am aching, but God is an awesome God who gave me the strength for each mile and each step, and I am confident He will be with me, showing me new things until He calls me home.

Lips Overflowing with Praise

On By vickleaIn YouVersion AppLeave a comment

Glory In The Lord

Pause for a moment and consider how good God is. Thank Him for the breath you have, the life you live, and all the blessings you experience.

God is worthy of your praise.

Life isn’t perfect; there’s pain, suffering, and grief we all must endure. We all face dark and tough seasons.

However, Jesus experienced similar trials in His life. He grieved the loss of His friends, endured pain and suffering, and walked through dark times—feeling abandoned even on the cross.

None of these experiences alter the goodness of God. He remains good, present, and strengthens us in our suffering.

That’s why in 1 Chronicles 16:10, the writer encourages us to glory in His name. It means we should praise and uplift God in our lives. Our lips should overflow with praise, thanking God for who He is and what He has done.

What are some things you can thank God for today? How can you praise Him? Perhaps start by listing things you’re grateful for, then praising God for each one.

You might also list challenging aspects of your life. Spend time praying during this Advent season, asking God to oversee your circumstances. Thank Him for listening and being present, even in tough seasons.

Our Thinking

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song2 Comments

Over many years I have come to realize that I control what I think about. True, sometimes my mind wanders and seems to take me places that I don’t want to go, but it is up to me to rein it in and think about what I should be thinking. And what is that? God has the answer in His Word.

Heaven is a reality, not a pipe dream. Heaven may not be as I picture it or even as movies and books portray it, but it is real, just as Jesus was a real man who walked the earth and died for my sins. Christ is already in Heaven and the Bible tells me He is preparing a place for me there. The best thing that I can do while I wait is to think about the things of Heaven. How do I do that? I keep my focus on God’s Word, on His truths that He has spoken and is speaking into my heart. It’s easy to be distracted by all that is going on in the world around me, but I have found if I just take a deep breath and say to myself, “But God…” then I focus on how great God is in the circumstances and know that He will work all things out in the end.

Praising God with song is a great way for me to stay focused on Him, particularly if the song is based on Scripture and has helped me to memorize verses. Many years ago, one of the churches we went to had a pastor who was also a songwriter and guitarist and he set many favorite verses to music and played them during our worship time for us to join in with him. I remember many of those songs and have found others since then. A group called “Integrity Music” distributed a lot of cassettes with such scriptural songs and we had them playing in our car and home frequently. These days, the cassette has ceased to function, but I have discovered the music on You Tube and encourage you to listen and enter into His presence. Step away from the world and into the throne room of God. There we find our peace and our stability in a world that is rocking around us.

You Alone-Integritry Music

The Lord Reigns-Bob Moen-Integrity Music

Some May Trust In Chariots-Hosanna! Music

A Day for Praise

On By vickleaIn praise, SongLeave a comment

My husband and I have been traveling for most of the last month. Since our grandchildren are distant, we visited them for several weeks. We did come home for a few days to rest and repack, but then I set out again to visit my sister while my husband went to see his brother. All of the travels are over now, and I am so grateful for the safety that we enjoyed and also for being able to go to our church again. Our Sunday school teacher graciously sent us the video lessons that we were missing via email so we were able to continue the class study of Revelation. But nothing compares to being with our church family! So, today is a day for praise for me. Praise wells up in my heart each day as I ponder all of God’s goodness and blessings. May you be blessed with these songs that I am sharing and if you have other favorites, please share them with me.

What a Beautiful Name It Is-Hillsong

I Raise a Hallelujah-Hillsong Woship, Lauren Daigle,Casting Crowns

Holy Forever-Chris Tomlin

A Thousand Hallelujahs-Brooke Ligertwood

10,000 Reasons-Matt Redman

Pray, Believe, Receive

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Anyone who has followed me on my blog for a while knows that I have a few health problems. Well, actually, maybe more than a few. But I am totally blessed that God has taken care of me and is continuing to watch over me. My attitude of gratitude did not come easily as I spent much time angry about my health conditions and my inability to change them as well as God’s silence on the matters. Then, in 2015, my stroke happened. It was a bad one, or so I was told. If it had not happened at school where I was closer to the hospital and where the school nurse could immediately diagnose me and get help, I would likely not have survived. Coincidence? No…God watching over me.

At the time of my stroke, I could not move any limbs on my right side and could barely stutter out an intelligible word. But what I could do is pray and pray, I did! In the ambulance, I was praying silently to the Lord. The paramedic asked me if I needed something because it seemed I was trying to speak. Well, I did need something (healing) but I wasn’t telling the paramedic. I was talking to God. My husband was late arriving at the hospital because the school nurse had trouble getting him to answer the phone, so I was all alone for a little while. And I prayed, as multiple health workers did their jobs all around me, buzzing about the fact that I was probably having a stroke. The end result was that my husband arrived, I had the option to get a clot-busting shot that could kill me (30% chance) or save my life. My husband called our daughter Hope and together we prayed that the shot would work. It did…but I’m here to tell you that the medication was injected into my body but the Lord did the healing.

I have just been through a series of medical tests and the doctors could not find anything seriously wrong with me except for a reaction to my medication. I feel in my heart and soul that I was healed…God used my symptoms of fainting, vision loss and dizziness to built my faith in Him as I trekked to one specialist after another. In the end, He spoke quietly to me that He had healed me because of His great love for me. Once again, God reached down and touched me, not because of who I am or what I have done but because of Who He is.

My response to God’s grace and mercy is praise and thanksgiving. I am thankful for each day that I get to spend here on earth with my family and friends. God is wonderful to me and abounds in blessings for me. Today, I get to travel again, this time to see my sister who had to move to NC because of her health conditions. If you knew me well, you would know that I dislike traveling. I like the comforts and familiarity of home and would never go anywhere if we did not have family at a distance. Nevertheless, I am blessed to be healthy enough to travel and to get to see my sister who celebrated her birthday this week.

Every day is a miracle. The sights I see around me are evidence of God’s working on the earth. Birds singing, rain falling, squirrels scampering around the bird feeders…all are wonderful signs of God’s creation that He cares for so well. And the best thing is that He has shared it with me to enjoy…and with you! Look around you. You may not see or be aware of God’s miracles, but they are everywhere. Every breath we take is a gift from God. Everything we see is a gift from God. All that we are able to hear is a gift from God. Thus, I have learned and I’m still learning to pray, believe and receive…then to be thankful that I am able to do all of these because of a great and marvelous God who loves me beyond all that I can imagine.

Exaltation

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, Song, Video1 Comment

What does it mean to exalt the Lord? According to the online dictionary, it means to “elevate with praise, to glorify.” So, why do we exalt the Lord when He is already in the Heavens, the real Master of the Universe? I think we exalt Him because we need to hear ourselves acknowledge His power, His sovereignty and His worthiness to be praised. So much of the time, all day long, we spend giving ourselves and those around us little pep talks, telling them and ourselves what a good job we are doing or how much we appreciate the effort that they are making. Yet, when it comes to God, I think sometimes we take Him for granted, choosing to esteem ourselves rather than our Creator. So, today, I am taking time to exalt the Name of the Lord for WHO HE IS, not for all that He has done for me, although that list is innumerable. I just want to focus on His Lordship, His Kingship, on His character that is unchanging.

We cannot tell of the Lord’s greatness without acknowledging Him as the One who is the Ruler of our hearts. God is God…let’s praise Him and let Him know that although the world may turn against Him, we know that He is and always will be Lord of all.

1000 Names-Phil Wickham

A Thousand Hallelujas-Brooke Ligertwood

Great Is the Lord-Michael W. Smith

Giving God Glory

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture1 Comment

Sometimes, in the midst of trials or challenges, we just have to take time to remember all that God has already done for us and give Him the glory. It is in the remembering that our faith is built up again and we are then able to press onward with Him through the valley and back again to the mountaintop.

Praise and Relationship

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, Song1 Comment

Remember the first time you started a relationship with someone? If the relationship is going to last, the two of you need to communicate with each other and trust each other. One of the ways to build that open communication is to honestly say kind words of appreciation to each other. Gary Smalley calls it “The Love Language.” The Bible tells us to build each other up, to encourage each other. Some days, after my husband has done one irritating thing after another, it’s hard to find something kind to say, but I look and there it is! Kindness leads to communication which leads to more kindness, appreciation and love.

Did you know that God desires us to worship Him? Not because He needs our worship but because our praise opens the doors of communication with Him. After all, our relationships on earth are a small mirror to what our relationship is supposed to be with God. So, praise should be a natural outpouring of our love for Him. We show our appreciation to the Lord for all He has done and our love for Him in our words of adoration and praise.

If you can’t find your own words to praise God, read the Word. It is filled with praise for our Mighty Creator. No one is like Him and no one deserves the praise that is His just because of Who He is.

A creature is a created being, one created by God. The creatures in Revelation know to praise God, the One who was in the time of creation and all of the patriarchs, the One who is fully present in our lives today and the One who is coming again to rule and reign forever.

Holy, Holy, Holy-Audrey Assad