Even though Gail has come down with a bad case of intestinal flu, we have been reflecting on the many blessings that we do have. The week of March 18th our son Roger attended meetings for work in the Cleveland, Ohio area. We agreed to meet him in Cleveland on Thursday to attend a concert
by the Cleveland Orchestra that would take place at Severance Hall. It was a double blessing in that Roger wanted us to join him for the concert and the music played by the orchestra was magnificent.
It made us realize what a blessing to have a close knit family and to be able to enjoy such a beautiful gift from God as music.
Gail often will play music while she paints, especially when it is a dark and dreary day. Music lifts her spirit and helps her to be more creative as she paints. The right kind of music has a way of ministering to the soul. Many of the Psalms were written as music for the Israelites as part of their worship. Down through the ages God has gifted many people to be able to write worship music such as Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby, and currently Chris Tomlen.
It might not seem like a blessing to some people, but we feel God has given us a real gift in our two pups, Patsy and Penny. They have worked their way into our hearts so that they are now part of our family. They have become good company for us and are great companions for each other. One is very vivacious and the other timid and subdued. In fact, Penny has never barked. When Patsy barks Penny runs the other way. Of course, their favorite thing is going for a walk which we try to do every day.
We understand that people who have dogs live longer, and it's probably because of the extra activity they require.
As we ponder this Holy Week, we realize what a blessing it is for us to remember Christ's death and celebrate His resurrection. Because of this we have hope, and we are blessed and encouraged.
Praise the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; Praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals,
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Psalm 150:1-6
Blessings and Encouragement,
Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny
Hello, to the Palpants!
ReplyDeleteI somehow had lost touch with your blog site, but today I became reconnected. It is good to hear your thoughts! I too am experiencing extreme gratitude for a close-knit family these days. Peter and his wife and son moved closer (to Belleville) in early February and we have enjoyed many more visits with them than when they lived on the west side of MI with Peter's in-laws.
I also appreciate your thoughts on music and dogs--both are therapeutic to me as well!! God is so good to provide us with such simple ways to ease our souls. Along with close family relations, dogs, and music, your attitude of gratitude displayed in this blog will surely contribute to a longer life!
Kind regards,
Cyndi Pollet