#49 You can be grafted and re-grafted

"And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." Romans 11:23

Paul is talking about how Israel started out as the hold olive tree. However, because of their unbelief, the branches, or certain people, were cut off the tree. In their place, new believers, or Gentiles, were grafted onto the tree. They don't support the tree, the tree supports them. If some of the old branches, or old believers, were to come back to belief and repent, they would be re-grafted. And they would grow and cultivate even quicker, since they were part of the natural tree to begin with.

This parable provides hope for all people. If you are new to the faith, God can simply graft you onto His tree, and you will grow and thrive. If for some reason you were with God, but then have fallen away, it's even easier to come back to God, even if it can seem harder. Some believers who have fallen away may feel that they don't deserve to come back; they knew God, then denied Him, so they have no right to be taken back. But God says that those type of people, as long as they change their belief, will come back to Him readily. Now there's no excuse!!

Lord, thank You for promising a way for all types of believers. Thank You that You are the tree that we can gain sustenance from, and that can help us grow and thrive. Help me to stay connected to Your tree, and not be broken off. I want to produce fruit for You.

#48 Knowing Christ is all it takes

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" Romans 10:13

Knowing Christ is what it all boils down to. The Jews thought they were saved through knowing and obeying the law. But "Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" (10:4). So by ignoring and denying Christ, they missed out on the big picture. By following the law, they are living by the law. By following Christ, we can live through Christ. The law is powerful and ordained by God, but I would much rather follow a living Jesus than a set of rules. Through following Jesus those rules should fall in place, but it's Jesus who is leading my life, not a set of rules. In a game of "follow the leader", Jesus is at the head of my line, not rulebook. What would be better, a set of rules for how to play the game, or a coach to teach you them? Or how about a textbook or a teacher to teach you what you need to know to pass the class? I would much rather have the real thing, the real person guiding me.

Lord, I want You to be at the head of my life. I know the Bible is not "just a book", you can use it to speak to me, but I don't want it to just be a book. I've been discouraged lately in my daily devotions and I don't like it. I want to be able to communicate to You through Your word. I will finish off Romans, then start up with the Life Journal in January with the Message Bible. I was really inspired with that reading plan, and maybe a new version will put a new spin on things for me. Thank You for giving me the Bible, and a desire to read, even if sometimes it doesn't get done. Help me to reach for the Bible first, instead of my book or the internet. Help me to make time, and help it to not just be something I fit in. I want to go to that first, commune with You, and make that my focus.

#47 God's got it figured out

"But who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it 'Why did you make me like this?'" Romans 9:20

This section of Romans talks a lot about how God predestines those who are going to love Him, and those who are going to hate Him. "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (18). This doesn't really seem fair. I thought we were supposed to have free choice to decide to follow God? But God says that He knows what's going on, He's got it all worked out, He's the one that made us. So maybe it is like we still have the choice, but God, since He's all-knowing, knows what we will eventually choose, but did He create us that way? Hmmm... maybe tomorrow's reading will have more insight.

Lord, I don't understand it all, but I know You do. Thank You for having it all figured out.

#46 Jews can find Jesus

"...Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!" Romans 9:5

Reading about WW2 has opened my eyes to how much the Jews were hated, how they were blamed for Christ's death, how they were singled out. Jews have a unique heritage, Jesus came through them!! But even with them following all the laws, they still need to come to know Christ. They need to be shown how Jesus fills the prophesies of all the old testament prophets, how the savior they were looking for already came. Their heritage is awesome, and they should preserve that, but they need to know Jesus. Their image of Jesus most often is through "Christians" who throw His name around and use it for asserting their own purposes. But that's not how it's supposed to be. Jesus was one of them.

Lord, I don't personally know any Jewish people, but it amazes me to hear stories of Jews coming to know Jesus. Please help them to come to know You, before the end, through any way possible.

#45 Nothing can touch us!!

"...If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

Who can be against us? NO ONE, NOTHING!! If God lives in us, if we are co-heirs with Christ, if we are adopted into God's family, then we are "more than conquerors" (37) through Him. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (38,39). So while we may be touched by all the things listed, they can never separate us. Though we may suffer through and because of some of these things, God still loves us. Wow, you can't get much better than that.

Thank YOU Lord for promising to never be separated from me. Thank You for loving me so much. Help me to remember Your love and Your promise as I go through some of those things. Help me to keep my focus on You.

#44 What is now < what is to come

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

Many of us may suffer now, and may suffer in the future. But once we have a new body, and a new life in Christ Jesus, that's not even going to matter. That will be like a speck of dust in the wide ocean. We won't even remember it, it will be so insignificant. It may be all that we can think and dwell on at the moment, but the glory we will receive is infinitely better.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." Romans 8:28

God can also use bad situations to create good. While our earthly bodies ache, and catastrophes arise, that just might be what it takes in order to come to God. If we suffer some here, but come to know the eternal life in Jesus, it was all worth it.

Lord, help me to not question when things don't go well. If you are using that situation to bring me closer to You, or to maybe even bring someone else to You, help me to see it and realize it, and act according to Your purpose.

#43 We have life after death

"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness." Romans 8:10

Our bodies are riddled with sin... acne, scars, wrinkles, arthritis, cancer, etc. They are slowly dieing, because of this sin. But even though our bodies may die, we can know that we have eternal life if the Spirit lives in us. We are "co-heirs" with Jesus, how cool is that?

Lord, thank You that we have another option than just staying in these sinful bodies. I can't wait to be changed in the blink of an eye, or resurrected to a new body, if I may fall asleep before You return. I can't wait to see Juliette again in her new body again.

#42 God will rescue me from my sinful nature

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24,25

"I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Romans 7:18. Many of us may have the desire to be a good person, to do good things, but without Jesus living in us, we are unable to. We may do outwardly good things, donate to the poor, be nice to people.. but inwardly we may still hate, covet, and be an awful person. And God sees the inside. And it's usually the inside that tears people up. For example, depression can become a problem, when people try to do good, but keep feeling awful on the inside. On the outside they may look like everything is fine, but on the inside they have a huge hole where God should be. And it can only be filled with God.

But the good news, is even with how wretched of a person we may be, God can and WILL deliver us through Jesus Christ!! He gives us an out to that awful way to live.

Lord, thank You that You can fill that void in my life, that through You I can no longer just desire to do good, but can LIVE through You.

#41 Bound to God, not the law

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Romans 7:6

When we were bound to the law, we served because we had to, because that is what the law said. For example, say you had to become partners in a school project with someone. You didn't really like them, but you had to, in order to complete the project. You were required to get along, so you could work together. But then, after the project was completed, you were no longer required to get along, but suddenly you became good friends. You were no longer required to get along, so then you got along because you liked each other.

This might seem like kind of a silly analogy, but it just goes to show that when you are required to do something, our sinful human nature fights it. When you have to do something, you don't really want to. But if it is no longer a law, then you are under the new code, you serve according to love, not requirement. So when we die to the law that binds us, we are released from the hardships of that law too, and can serve God through the Spirit. Serving God and following his laws is no longer a burden, but it can become a delight.

Lord, this passage might have been somewhat confusing, but You have showed me that serving You can become a delight when it is no longer a burden.

#40 Eternal life is a gift

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

When we are slaves to sin, we earn death. All our impurities and unrighteous acts are like working at a job of sin, where, when we retire, instead of a pension, we earn death. However, eternal life is a gift. It is not something that can be earned. Even if we changed our acts to those of a righteous and pure nature, we still would retire with a pension of death. But that is what Jesus did--He stepped in and took our pension, what we have earned throughout our lifetime, and given us the gift of eternal life. Praise God!!

Lord, thank You for giving me the gift of eternal life. I don't deserve it, and I definitely haven't earned it, but You've given it to me anyway. Thank You for that.

#39 I am DEAD

"... Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11

Our old selves were crucified with Christ (6:6), so our bodies are no longer ruled by sin. We have been set free!! (6:7). Sin is no longer our master (6:14), we have died to sin.

All these point to the fact that through Christ's death, we have a chance at new life. We don't have to die, Jesus has already conquered death (6:9). We may fall asleep for a time, but once we have a new life through Him, we no longer face eternal death. We already died once, with Jesus, through baptism, that's the last death we have to face!! And what an easy one!! Through a positive and joyful moment (baptism) we forever rid ourselves of our old, sinful body, and come under grace. We may stumble and sin, but we are no longer slaves to sin, it no longer has a rule over our bodies, because we now have Jesus as our master. Amen!!

Lord, thank You for conquering death. Once we live with You, it no longer has the same meaning. We may be sad and miss Juliette, sad for her family, and that we can't see her now, but we know that she rests, and that she will wake up resurrection morning with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. We WILL see her again, and she will get to grow up in heaven.

#38 In a race of sin vs. grace, grace is winning!!

"The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:20,21

The law was created so we could identify sin, and when we could identify sin, it seemed there was more sin occurring. For example, if you and many of those around you enjoyed playing football, then all is well and good. But say you find out that where you live, playing football is against the law. Before you knew about the law, playing football was just something you did for fun. But once you found out about the law, all of a sudden you are breaking the law, you are sinning. So while you were sinning before, but just didn't know it, once you found out about the law, sinning increased.

BUT, according to Paul, where sin increased, grace increased all the more!! So once you found out about that sin, and repented of it, God forgave you of that sin, and grace increased. Grace is winning!! Whenever a sin occurs, and we repent, grace jumps ahead in the race!!

Lord, thank You that You have grace at the ready for us when we come to You repentful of our sins.

#37 There is a purpose to our sufferings

"...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 6:3-5

While in the midst of suffering, there can seem to be no way out. We are immersed in what we are enduring, that is our only focus. But Paul says here that we can have glory in our sufferings. Through suffering, we can learn perseverance. While persevering, we develop character. And with the new character of God in us, we can have hope. And that hope is amazing, because God has poured out His love to us.

Juliette may have already fallen asleep, or she may be hanging on a little longer. Either way, it won't be much longer until she will rest in Jesus. While Matt is suffering through this, he can hang onto the hope that God has given to us, hope in His love.

Lord, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit, and instilling in us Your hope. Please abide with Matt, and Jessica, and all of their family.

#36 Words that can have real meaning

So I still don't totally understand the words righteousness, justification, sanctification. Looked some of them up...

"Where justification is a legal declaration that is instantaneous, sanctification is a process. Where justification comes from outside of us, from God, sanctification comes from God within us by the work of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Bible. In other words, we contribute to sanctification through our efforts. In contrast, we do not contribute to our justification through our efforts."

So when Paul says Abraham was credited as righteous (Romans 4:3), this was him being sanctified with God living in him. He was justified through Jesus dying on the cross, but he was sanctified through his faith, when he believed God would give him a son, even if it was seemingly impossible.

Lord, help me to understand these catch-phrases, words that may be used but don't really have a real meaning to me. They are very important words, words relating to what you did on the cross, and what you are doing even now in my heart. So thank you for making me justified, continue to work in me to sanctify me.

#35 God's gift is free

"...and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:24

We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), so therefore, we all deserve death. But we can be justified-declared innocent or guiltless, through God's free gift through the death of Jesus Christ. We are not innocent, we all deserve death, and we cannot get rid of this sentence on our own. We can't do anything, we've been sentenced for life in prison with no bail. But Jesus steps in for us, and takes our sentence. We are definitely guilty, we deserve the sentence, but Jesus, who is innocent and guiltless, steps in to take our place. This is the only way we can be justified--by Jesus stepping in for us.

Lord, thank You for taking my place. Thank You for stepping in to serve my sentence, to give me a chance at life. I didn't and don't deserve it, but thank You anyway.

#34 We're not being tested by the law

"Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20

Our life is not a big test, where God will go through what we've done, and how we've acted, and if we've followed every law, and not stumbled, we will "get in" to heaven. How sad of an existence is that? Unfortunately, many Christians believe this, that God is some revengeful God, out to catch us doing wrong, slipping up on one little thing. Paul says that NO ONE will be declared righteous through the law. No matter how hard we've tried to do right, that will NOT make us righteous. The law is there to help us become conscious of sin. It's there so we can identify sin. What is sin? Transgression of the law. So how would we know what sin is, if we didn't have the law? It's not some heavy burden put on us, it's something to help us. Why do we have laws in the world? To protect us. That's what God's law does too--protects us.

Lord, thank you for your law. Thank you that it's not some heavy burden you put on our shoulders, but instead, something to protect us.

#33 I'm not the judge

"...for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself..." (Romans 2:1). God doesn't ask me to be the judge of other people. In fact, he discourages it. If I judge others by some lofty standard, I am going to be judged by that same standard. And in many cases, that thing that the person is doing that I think is terrible, I may be doing it myself!! How, then, do I have any basis for judging them? I don't!!I am a sinner just like every other person. The only difference may be my relationship with Jesus. THAT is what I need to concentrate on. THAT is what my focus needs to be on, not on what the other person is doing.

Lord, please help me to not be the judge of others. I may take on that roll at times, but I really don't want that position. It's all yours. Please remind me of that fact and keep my focus on you and not on what other people are doing.

#32 The Gospel is not something to be ashamed of

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16).

In the words of Paul, the gospel is not something to be ashamed of. It is not something to hide, something that you don't want to talk about in case you might offend something. If someone finds out I'm a Christian, "one of those people", it is not something to make excuses for. It is something to be proud of, to shout from the rooftops. This world is full of sin, Romans 1:29-31 is a good list of the awfulness of human nature. But through Christ, we can become something else, something much better. I need to wear the gospel as a badge of honor. "Yes, I am a Christian, and Jesus Christ is my personal savior. Would you like to learn more about Him? Let me tell you about my Friend..."

Full PDF Version

#31 The Bible

While it hasn't been easy, and I've really struggled in some cases, I finally did it... I read the whole bible. The Life Journal, while somewhat uninspiring towards the end, has helped me to do it. I now need to find some other type of study, in order to remain in the bible and seek to know Jesus better every day.

"Dear Lord, help me to yearn for your word. Help me to desire to read it every day. Put a new light to it, make it exciting and life changing. Thank you, amen. "

#30 Not having to have all the answers

Reading Job has taught me that I don't have to have all the answers. Job was complaining about all the things that were happening to him, and pondering the question "why do bad things happen to good people" like so many of us do. Then God speaks through a storm and proves to Job that HE is in control, everything that has happened on this earth HE created, HE formed, HE is in charge of. Job finally responds with "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." (Job 42:3). Some things we aren't meant to understand, aren't meant to know. We don't have to have all the answers. We can just rest in the knowledge that God does.

#29 Friends who look out for each other

I helped clean out our friends apartment, so that he could have family stay since Juliette has gotten worse. It's nice to be able to help out a friend in need, and to also know that I have friends who will do the same thing for me if I need it.

#28 Salvation is a gift

That's all it is, plain and simple. If we try to make too much out of it, then we are just complicating matters. It's a gift from God, all we have to do is accept it.

#27 Getting a good nights rest

So we've been transitioning Madelyn from the bed to her crib. She's done really well. She fusses some at the beginning, and last night she was up and restless for awhile, but overall, it has been very successful. So thankful to have my bed back to myself, it's wonderful to stretch out and sleep on my stomach again!!

#26 Sunny weather at the beach

It's pretty rare to have nice weather at the beach. This weekend spent camping at Cape Lookout State Park was beautiful. It was perfectly clear and sunny, with highs around 65. Just beautiful.

#25 My husband

So I have Mastitis, not fun. But I was telling Brandon about it, and he said I should go to the doctor. So he took me in, kept Madelyn in the car while I went inside, and then took me to the pharmacy to pick up some antibiotics. Thanks hubby for taking care of me when I'm sick.

#24 Babies bounce

So yesterday, Madelyn fell off our bed... twice. Once when she woke up from her nap, and once in the middle of the night, which woke me out of a dead sleep. My heart just stops, and Madelyn cries, but she ends up being okay. I'm so thankful that babies are flexible and that Madelyn's guardian angel was there to cushion her fall.

#23 The genorosity of others

Today we had the fundraiser for Juliette. It was a long day, but so worth it. Our goal (which I will admit, I didn't think we would make even close to) was $2,000. We made a little over $3,000!!! Wow!! I can't believe it. We had so many local businesses sponsor holes, lots of people buying baked goods, 72 people sign up for the tournament, and tons of donations through raffle ticket purchases, or just some that would tell us to "keep the change". Amazing. Even the rough crowd that the disc golfers tend to be, they still donated money towards the cause. Some of them got prizes, and they did get to play in a tournament, but they didn't have to donate money. Even through the haze of cigarette smoke, the smell of alcohol, and the myriad tattooed bodies, there were hearts filled with compassion and love.

#22 Crying during a movie

We watched a movie today called "Letters to God" which was about this boy dying of brain cancer. It was a good movie, but it hit a little too close to home. With what we are going through with Juliette, it was kind of tough to watch, especially when I heard my friend's little boy mention that the boy was sick "like Juliette". That really made me tear up. But although this is going to be difficult in the coming weeks/months, and crying isn't necessarily good, it just means that I have people that I care about and love, and even if it may be tough now, Jesus is coming back to end the sorrows and pain. In the new earth this won't happen anymore...

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

Now THAT is good news. That's the greatest blessing of all.

#21 Walks on a cool evening

We took a walk to end the Sabbath, just us three (well four counting the dog). We got to watch the sun go down, and have a closing Sabbath prayer. It was peaceful, relaxing, and rejuvenating. With a few blackberries to top it off, it was a good end to the Sabbath, or any day for that matter.

#20 Days spent with just us three

Yesterday we spent the day hanging out at home, running a few errands, and going out to lunch. We ended the day with a peaceful walk to the church to welcome in the Sabbath with friends and food. It's fun to hang out with friends all day, but sometimes it's good to spend time with just our small family.

#19 The sound of my little girl's laughter

As I was upstairs getting ready for bed, I could hear Madelyn laughing up a storm. Daddy always gets her to laugh. I love hearing it. Whether it's a gut-rolling laugh or a little giggle, it just brightens up my day.

#18 Homemade hummus

After purchasing our Blendtech blender (which deserves a post of it's own, but I will just acknowledge it's awesomeness here... moment of silence please...) I've perfected the art of making hummus.

It requires:
    -2 cans of garbanzo beans
    -4 T. lemon juice
    -1 t. salt
    -1/2 C. olive oil
    -1 garlic clove

And that's it!! So simple, yet so delicious. After blending and scraping out the blender, I always lick the spatula. Is that weird?

#17 Thai food

We've just recently discovered how amazingly good Thai food is. Oh, and also Indian. And Greek. It's so good to be able to eat places besides Mexican when we go out!!

#16 Catching up with old friends

Monday I got to have breakfast and catch up with an old friend I hadn't seen in over a year. She's doing well, and it was fun for her to get to meet Madelyn. It's neat that even with the different paths our lives have taken, we can still touch bases every once in awhile.

#15 Good 'ol A/C

With the 90+ temperatures we've had the last few days, it's wonderful to be able to spend time in a cool house. Ahhhhh...

#14 Time in the Bible

Lately I've been struggling to be able to do my daily reading with Madelyn being so active. This morning, Brandon took her and played with her while I got to read and catch up, and spend some quiet time in the Bible. It was such a joy to be able to have some alone time, with just faint sounds of my baby and her daddy playing in the background.

#13 Warm jackets and fire

Even in August, it was freezing at the beach on our last camping trip. SO thankful I brought my jackets, and that we had lots of warm fire.

#12 My dad's infinite knowledge

I'm so thankful to have a dad that can do anything. Whether it's fixing my car, repairing things on our house, or asking a traffic queation, I love that he can do it all.

#11 My loving husband

So I'm not writing this just because my husband looked at my blog and saw he wasn't on it. I just hadn't gotten to him yet. I didn't say these posts were in order of importance, just as they occur. So honey, here is my post for you...

I love you. You are my best friend. I'm so thankful God brought you into my life. My entire life was changed. You are such a wonderful dad to our little girl, and I'm so thankful you can provide for our family and enable me to stay home to raise her. You're smart, you're funny, you're a man of God. I enjoy spending time with you and love when we just spend a day together hanging out. You have inspired me to grow closer to God, and I'm so glad He is a part of our marriage. I have so many wonderful memories already with you, and I can't wait to make even more. I'll love you forever.

#10 Hearing Madelyn laugh

I really got her going today playing with the hat I was wearing. It's such an awesome and happy sound, one that I really can't get enough of. I wish I could record it and listen to it whenever I'm feeling down. They should figure out some way to bottle that stuff and give it to people suffering from depression.

#9 When Madelyn sleeps in the car when we're stuck in traffic

What a blessing to not have to deal with traffic AND a crying baby.

#8 Small group bible study

I like being able to learn and talk about spiritual things with a group of women that desire a closer walk with God as much as I do. They are encouraging me and helping me to open up and grow, learning to "stop trying harder, but to get dead-er."

#7 Hanging out with my mom

I love that my mom and I have a close relationship and that I enjoy doing stuff with her. And even if we have the same walk, as pointed out again today by one of her friends, I'm glad that I have a wonderful, supportive mother that I can emulate and look up to.

#6 Trips to the zoo

I remember going to the zoo when I was a kid, and how neat it was to see all kinds of fun animals. I have discovered that I still love going to the zoo, and can't wait until Madelyn gets a little older so she can enjoy it too.

#5 The carpool lane

Enough said :)

#4 Nights when Madelyn sleeps well

Co-sleeping has been such a blessing and a lifesaver to me throughout motherhood. However, some nights are better than others. I am so thankful for nights (although rare) when she only wakes up once or twice. They are such welcome surprises when they do occur.

#3 Friends

I have an awesome and amazing group of friends. I've always had friends growing up, but never to the extent I have now. I love being able to meet every week and have girl time, and spend Sabbaths eating and having fun. We are there for each other throughout everything. If something comes up, I know I have a huge group of people that will love and support me. We are like family, and I love that.

#2 Eternal life

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

I'm thankful that God says that I HAVE eternal life. It's not something that is in the future, it's present tense. It's not something I have to hope for. Jesus says in His own words, that I have crossed from death to life.

#1 My active baby girl

Lord I thank you for my healthy baby girl that makes getting anything done extremely difficult, even starting a blog.

The Beginning

So this will probably only be something I read, and I might not even maintain it, but oh well, here goes :) I was inspired by my friend Kessia, who is compiling a list of 1000 blessings in a year. Since "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17), I want to acknowledge Him for the many good things in my life. I will number them as I go, we'll see how far I get.