Monday – Children, youth, and family ministries of St. Paul’s and those who teach and work with our youth. Our music program and choirs.

And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days…

The above is taken from the General Thanksgiving which is usually said as part of Morning and Evening Prayer. What struck me this morning as I was praying was the phrase “give us such an awareness of your mercies”. As we move through life, with the ups and downs, struggles, challenges, joys, celebrations, may we always be acutely aware of the mercies of God, which leads us to have truly thankful hearts. This weekend was such a delightful time with family – all our kids and both sons-in-law, our new grandson, all my brothers and most of their families, and some good visit with my mom and dad were all special. And then I spent over 5 hours with my four brothers and our mom, just talking, catching up, harrassing one another, it was way fun. Driving back to my daughter’s house about 2 hours from my mother’s, I was giving thanks for the blessings of famliy. I was reminded, made more aware, of God’s mercies.