Psalm 136 begins and ends with the words "give thanks".So, as we do just that today, here as those opening and closing verses and a song for the day.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lords of lords: His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
Worship made simple- some strings (in this case a piano) and a voice... Here's Don Moen.
On October 1, 1982, Disney's EPCOT opened and with it, the American Adventure: born of Walt's love for our country and dreamer's soul, strategically placed in alignment with a view of Spaceship Earth, and surrounded by the pavilions of the countries connected by water, as they all are on the this earth.
This is the music only, so close your eyes and take the journey of promise...
Talk to God about the parts of this song that stirred your heart.
Thank Him for the men and women who dared to dream and sacrifice for the promise of "One Nation Under God".
Give thanks for the dreams that have unfolded in your own life.
Pray for the promises yet to be kept for our America to keep her "flying high" into "new frontiers".
Pray that one those frontiers will be revival.
Close the time singing your favorite patriotic song.
God privileged me in July of 1998 to be on the team that launched the Disney Cruise Line. That assignment placed me in the position of making the first transatlantic crossing of the Disney Magic: a journey originating in the Fincantieri Shipyards of Italy, to Venice, to Lisbon, to the first mooring of the Magic at Disney's Castaway Cay, to Port Canaveral.
The morning after we sailed from Lisbon, I woke up with the right side of my face numb and tingling. The ship's, doctor said, "Well, it's either Bells Palsy or you've had a stroke." Not exactly comforting words! Either way, we were eleven days from land and still working 18 hour days to ready the ship for her first Guests.
Clearly, God had my undivided attention and used the experience for me re-dedicate the remainder of my life...which had been awakened to the revelation of "Holy Cow Batman, I could have a stroke at any minute" :O
I would learn a few months later, that one of our passengers on that crossing, (who were invited to let us practice our service skills) was Richard, the father of one of the executives on our team. And Richard prayer walked the ship every day praying for God to do whatever it would take to bring his daughter to Christ. She came to Christ the following January : )
And yet, for me- I knew Richard's prayers had fallen on me. His praying the price for his daughter, fell on another daughter of the King, who needed to sell out the remainder of her life for the only thing that truly matters.
Let's keep praying bold prayers and let God have His way with every answer, knowing that one day we will see how God chose to answer our prayers : )