Friend of Dial Hope, how do you use your days?  The days of our lives all too swiftly fly by.  I want to challenge you to go deeper, to discover God's unconditional love and our Lord's amazing grace based on gratitude and joy.  Some way estimates that in a lifetime the average person spends:

400 days looking for lost items such as teeth, glasses, checkbooks, etc,

240 days opening junk mail,

750 days returning phone calls,

2,190 days eating and drinking,

8,000 days sleeping, and

150 days waiting at traffic lights, and so on...

We need to thank God for the days He has given us... all of them.  Paul said, "In everything, give thanks."  The most positive evidence of being alive is our willingness to express our thanksgiving to God.  We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness.  It's in our hands.  Now I want to give you two assignments for the next 7 days:

1.  Write down ten things in your life for which you are thankful... It's hard to stop at ten isn't it?

2.  Write a note to six people in your life who have loved and encouraged you.  It may even be someone who is deceased.

On this 27th day of 2010, reflect on this question; If you knew this was the last day of your life, how would you express your gratitude?

Prayer:   O Lord, our shepherd, who leads us by still waters and into green pastures, we thank you for the gift of life and the gift of this day.  From our Maalox moments, we come to say we love you.  Now grant us the grace to laugh at life with the assurance that nothing can separate us from your love.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.