Psalm 84:10-12 
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. (NIV)

One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions. It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies. (MSG)

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Drought-busting rain is a gift of God’s grace. This cloudy, rainy Monday is a double blessing. We get the rain we need while knowing the sun shines on above the clouds. 

Better than a double-rainbow is God’s wet kiss upon the earth. Better than a day at the beach is our “sunshine and sovereign” God. 

Not even Karen Carpenter would sing the blues on this gray and grateful Monday. 

How are you praising God for this morning?

What are you expressing thanksgiving for today?

Write it down. Lift it up. Live it out.

Our Father, you are good to us! You are better to us than we deserve. You provide exactly what we need. You hear and answer our prayers. Thank you for your gifts of grace, mercy, and kindness. Empower us to live lives attuned with these characteristics marking your reality. Amen.