Psalm 50

9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,

10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?

14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

It is so incredibly humbling to recognize that God doesn't need any of this from us. The fact that we fail every day as humans, with our minute wisdom and understanding of the world, doesn't make HIM any less powerful, or less majestic, or less loving. It's mind boggling, really... to know that the Lord of the universe doesn't delight in anything more than when I let Him into my heart and spend time with Him.

Today at chapel we all received little cards with our bulletin and were encouraged to partake in a thanksgiving offering for all He had blessed us with in 2006. It was such a simple gesture yet it spoke volumes. Through all of the junk and disfunctional relationships and hardships and battles and frustrations and tears I would not have traded this past year for anything in the world. Mexico allowed me to see with brand new eyes. Those 10 days in 2006 were worth one thousand-fold all of the crappy ones. Each day was a new opportunity to allow God to shape me and mold me into a different person, and I just hope that I'll be able to take what I learned this year to learn to love Him more, and to love others better, all the while honouring our King. When we learn to acknowledge the grandness of God's grace, our love for Him will be magnified.

If I go up to the heavens, He is there;
if I make my bed in the depths, He is there.

If i rise on the wings of the dawn,
if i settle on the far side of the sea,
even there His hand will guide me,
His right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to Him;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is at light to Him.

mmm...the beauty of it all.

boo internet won't let me upload a picture of our thanksgiving tree. check back later.