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Gorgeous day at Fort Macon! How beautiful is His Creation to behold! 

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 118:1 ESV

http://bible.com/59/psa.118.1.esv

Being thankful is a disposition of the heart, not merely a word spoken or a day of celebration sanctioned by the government. We are to give thanks because we are thankful! Thus being said, I not only give thanks but am thankful for who my Father is as well as what He has done & is going to do. Meditating on His works has been a necessity for me today as I feel compassed about by many of the waves of life. Such being said, I am grateful/thankful to the Father for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He, through His Son, has redeemed me from sin while presently working sin out of me and eventually will deliver me from its very presence. Who am I that He should do this for me? I am a nobody, but thankfully He is a somebody who cares for the "nobodies"of life. I am also grateful/thankful to the Father for my wife, my best friend, and help-meet whom God uses to encourage, exhort, and edify me daily. Praise & thanks be to Him who is worthy of our praise! O and she cooked a fabulous Thanksgiving meal for us to enjoy while at the beach. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Reading the Psalms often has the effect of mirroring my soul. While reading Psalm 77 this morning, I found myself identifying with the Psalmist when he states, "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has His steadfast love forever ceased? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His compassion?" Despair best describes how I feel some days as the waves of life crash against me. Whether experiencing the self inflicting wounds of selfish decisions or the expected difficulties of obediently following Jesus, the waves seem to often overtake me, knock me on my behind, and relentlessly crash against me - wave after wave. Furthermore, it seems the harde I strive to obey, the more I fail or the more I am slammed by the waves of life. "O that He would show Himself compassionate in this day, in this hour, in this circumstance of life!" Is my souls cry. Where do I go when He, the compassionate One, the Faitfhful One, the Gracious One seems so distant & unconcerned? Where do I turn when the touch of the Father seems so cold & indifferent? Thankfully the Psalmist exhorted me this morning to "remember the deeds of hate Lord!" And he reminded me of the character of our Great God whose compassions fail not (Lamentations 3:22). Where then do I turn? I turn to His Word where I discover His works & His character. I trust in His truth that is unchanging despite my present feelings. I meditate upon what He has done in order to rest in what He is doing & will do. Fact is I need Him & He delights in me. In this I must trust despite my current feeling of despair, for my God is good & gracious and no circumstance can change this! Praise be to His name! 

Our first day of the 2015 hunting season scoping out some venison to "feed the hungry" Bradshers. Confessedly I look forward to being alone during hunting season; however, the Father is teaching me that there is such great joy & pleasure, more in fact, when spending this time with Bradsher nations next generation. Thanks be to the Father for granting us the joy of parenting. Love ya Nathan! 

Thankful to have been encouraged & edified by these brothers today as we listened to Moncy Mammen share the church planting ministry of the PGT (Peniel Gospel Team). Ever desired to reach an unreached people group with the hope of the gospel? Partner with the PGT & watch God the Father use you to fulfill the Great Commission! Email me if you are interested: joelbradsher@gmail.com