Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It didn’t take much to put a smile on my face this morning as I watched nature respond to the touch of the Master’s hand on this glorious new day. With a Heart overflowing with Gratitude, I could spend the rest of my life giving thanks and I’d never run out of things to thank Him for. So, I Praised Him and I thanked Him for it ALL. By the time I was ready to get to work, I was Readied from the inside out. I enjoy a little adventure and I love spontaneity in life here and there, but I love some of my routines as well. The routine of stepping out into the world each new day from an old farmhouse filled with the aroma of fresh coffee is just about as good as it gets to me, and there’s no place I’d rather be. For as long as I live I will never take for granted the Blessing of each new day or the simple pleasures of the world around me and that has nothing to do with how much or how little I have…it has everything to do with a Heart filled Gratitude for Who He is and what He does for me…no matter how big or how small! Isn’t that the way you look at the Journey of Life too?

It can be so easy for some people to wake up to a new day without a single thought about the Blessing of waking up in the first place, and they surrender their Joy and Peace in the process when they do. There is no Gratitude in their heart whatsoever because they’re too busy focusing on what they think they deserve to have in this life. Some people have an insatiable appetite for bigger and better and they won’t be satisfied until they get it. They don’t realize that “getting it” is directly tied to a Heart of Gratitude. If we can’t be genuinely Grateful for what God has already given us, why in the world would He Bless us with more? Some people roll out of bed and the first thought is the aches and pains that go along with getting up. Some people wake up hungry, and their first thought is what they’ll eat for breakfast. Some people wake up and are so far away from appreciating the Solitude of a new day that they turn on the TV or take to the Internet just minutes after their eyes open to catch up on the filth of the world. Some people wake up with a mind riddled with all kinds of things that need to be done on that particular day as if the checklist in their mind never shuts off during the night. Some people wake up mad, some people wake up scared, some people wake up worried, and some people wake up lonely. All of these things are clear indicators we have somehow put ourselves FIRST in this Journey called Life, and when we do, it’s impossible to have a Heart filled with Gratitude for a new day to Live, to Love, and to Serve.

Some people have already quit living and they say they want the Lord to take them Home soon as if they’re being punished by having more Life to live. They’ve completely forgotten about Purpose and they surrendered their Joy and Peace in the process. Unfortunately, they’re already dead, they just haven’t been buried yet. Little do these people know that the Joy and the Peace they see in the Life of other people around them has nothing to do with a perfect day or a perfect life without struggles. The Joy and the Peace they see have nothing to do with God showing more Favor on one life over another….although they attempt to justify their attitude about where they are (or where they aren’t) in life. Joy and Peace are not a sign that nothing “bad” happens to other people! After all, they could easily focus on their aches and pains and trials too. Joy and Peace are present through thick and thin ONLY when we turn to the Source of Life…to the One gracious enough to grant another day to Live…to the One who has Plans and a Purpose for each one of us…to the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb…to the One who takes our hand EVERY TIME we reach out for His…to the One who has the entire world in the palm of His Hands…to the One who is big enough and Powerful enough to handle any problem IF we’ll just turn to Him…especially at the beginning of each new day. This is the ONLY way to have Joy and Peace no matter what’s going on in life. It all comes down to being willing to die to ourselves so that we can Live for Him.

The view from my front porch IS picture-perfect, but my Life isn’t always that way. I’ve been in valleys deeper than most people can imagine and I’ve lost my way a time or two. Did I have a Heart of Gratitude in the storm? Absolutely! And I made sure to let Him Know how Grateful I was despite my trials and tribulations because that’s what Gratitude looks like. Only a spoiled child would forget all the Good things a father has done for them just because of a few bumps in the road! As for me, I fight for my Joy and Peace and I refuse to surrender until He calls me Home. Until then, I am absolutely confident that He has Purpose for my Life and I’m not going to squander even a day because I don’t want to die without fulfilling what I was born to do. I want Joy Peace and Strength for the Journey and I know what it takes to have it! It all begins with a Heart that Overflows with Gratitude for the King of Kings…the One who died for me…the One I Live for. Because I determine to Live for Him, He’s the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night. Everything in between is the Journey I have been Destined to live since the beginning of Time.

How about you?