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Our Thanksgivings and Christmases have not quite been the same in the last couple of years for various reasons.

We are thankful just the same.

We have an amazing God who supplies every need we have.

The end snapshot seems to appear a bit different than we like perhaps, but it’s still a fine picture of His great provision for us.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

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Time spent pondering these things must give way to the telling.

The thoughts must come out,

they must be shared.

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Is thankfulness held inside simply holding on to a warm fuzzy for our own comfort?

Is it thankfulness if it is not spoken?

Or is our thankfulness a contagious thing?

Something that when spoken,

makes a warmth begin in another’s heart?

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I am and have been thankful to God for a very long time.

Yet, I do have a problem.

My heart somehow forgets to notify my face.

My voice box should proclaim this thankfulness to my God and to others.

Scripture says so.

Luke 17:15 (NIV1984)

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.

And yet,

I do not live out loud as much as I would like.

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I used to live out loud.

The raucous, rude, out of line kind of loud.

Now that my heart is aligning more and more with the Spirit of God,

Quietness is more my style.

The quietness and peace in my heart is definitely a gift from God.

I no longer stress so much about most of the stuff I used to stress about.

He is in control.

My interest revolve around him,

and so I believe His interests revolve around me as well.

Isaiah 32:17 (NIV1984)

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

Quietness of heart I believe,

not necessarily of mouth.

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So I begin.

To encourage myself to use my voice.

To thank the Maker of heaven and earth for the peace that resides in my heart.

To live out loud again.

I ask Him to help it to reach my face.

That His countenance will shine through my being,

and encourage others to trust Him as well.

Colossians 1:27 (NIV) To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.