GRATEFUL 2/4 GOD as CREATOR

Many are familiar with 

a few different

THANKFUL THURSDAYS

this was the one I knew

with Iris, Laurie and Lynn

(Lynn's no longer hosting)

and 

then there's also

Ann V's 

A Holy Experience

"Multitides on Monday"

1,000 Gifts

Joy Dare

but

I'm doing a twist on this

for

2013

It'll be

Grateful 24

Grateful 2 God

Grateful 4 God

Grateful 4 who God is

We should be GRATEFUL 24/7 or could be

 We can thank God for at least one thing each day 

this is what

GRATEFUL 24

is based on

but like it says above

TO (2) GOD

FOR (4) GOD

GIVING THANKS

of course

on each 

Thursday

showing our gratitude

having an attitude of gratitude

all 52 weeks of the year

[not just in November]

actually all 365 days of each year

This came to me during my 30 Days in November of "Giving Thanks, One Day at a Time" through the trials and the JOY of December. I almost couldn't wait and wanted to begin right then ... so glad that the first Thursday of 2013 is here on the 3rd (so I didn't have to wait that long).

However I still couldn't decide on the order, whether I wanted to do this A-Z or in the order of the books in the Bible OT to NT(any preferences? cuz ya' know I aim to please, ohhh, ok, I'm working on that too!). I will experience God more completely this way as I pray.

"God is not a concept or a doctrine. He is a Person, who seeks a close, one on one relationship with you and me. God does not want us to merely believe in Him, He wants to relate to us on a personal level. He does not just want to hear us recite prayers. He wants to converse with us..."

~ *Experiencing God, Henry & Richard Blackaby*

This is the reason, I want my Thankful Thursday to be about my GRATITUDE 2 GOD and 4 GOD as I know Him personally as my Father, and Jesus Christ, His Son, my Savior and friend whom I know through the Holy Spirit and our relationship over the years as God reveals Himself to me, His purposes, His ways so I can know Him in a deeper and more profound way, even if "His thoughts are not my thoughts, His ways are much higher than my ways", I would like them to be and I desire to know Him this completely, as He knows me (and you). 

Truly knowing God only comes through experiencing God as He reveals Himself to you through His Word (the Bible) and as you relate to Him. Throughout my writings in this blog (and other places), I have written about knowing God through His Names. Each of the many names for God represents a different aspect of His nature.

This is why I have chosen this way to give Him thanks because descriptions or titles of God identify who He is and how we personally came to know Him in this way. I hope that as I look to Him through His Word and His Name, His character and attributes, that I can pray more fully from a heart that knows Him and is so grateful to Him as I become more intimately aware of Him with insight into His character and experience Him anew each week.

I want to focus on knowing and sharing God better in 2013 and I hope to do so by giving thanks to God for who He is focusing on His Name and Attributes from a list I have from another book* by Stormie Omartian that I use for praying (only my copy is in Spanish so I'm translating) and if we ever run short, we can go back to my list on my 100th blog post!

The first one is found in the book of Genesis: 

GOD

is the

HOLY SPIRIT

God is ...

Admirable Consuming Fire Faithful Lord of lords Honest, Upright my Refuge*my Shield my Sustenance, Support * Sovereign Good All-Knowing Eternal Father my Fortress Shelter from the storm, Shade from the heat Magnificent Strong Just my Redeemer True my Resting Place my Strength Unchanging, Immovable my Purifier, my Refiner my Healer

as found in the  Old Testament *from Psalms,  which have many more but not all given here
This SONG moves the SPIRIT within me
"HE IS... "
according to this song in 

Old Testament 1. Genesis ... breath of life 2. Exodus ... Passover Lamb 3. Leviticus ... High Priest 4. Numbers ... fire by night 5. Deuteronomy ... Moses' voice 6. Joshua ... salvation's choice 7. Judges ... law giver 8. Ruth ... kinsman-redeemer 9.   1 Samuel } trusted  10. 2 Samuel    prophet 11. 1 Kings } 12. 2 Kings        } Sovereign 13. 1 Chronicles} 14. 2 Chronicles 15. Ezra ... true & faithful scribe 16. Nehemiah ... rebuilder 17. Esther ... Mordecai's courage 18. Job ... timeless Redeemer 19. Psalms ... our morning song 20. Proverbs ... wisdom's cry 21. Ecclesiastes ... time & season 22. Song of Songs ... lover's dream 23. Isaiah ... Prince of Peace 24. Jeremiah ... weeping Prophet 25. Lamentations ... cry for Israel 26. Ezekiel ... call from sin 27. Daniel ... stranger in the fire 28. Hosea ... forever faithful 29. Joel ... spirit's power 30. Amos ... the arms that carry us 31. Obadiah ... Lord our Savior 32. Jonah ... great missionary 33. Micah ... promise of peace 34. Nahum...strength & our shield 35. Habakkuk } pleading 36. Zephaniah    for revival 37. Haggai...restores a lost heritage 38. Zechariah ... our fountain 39. Malachi ... Son of Righteousness rising with healing in His Wings New Testament 40. Matthew} God 41. Mark}      Man 42. Luke}      Messiah 43. John} 44. Acts ... fire from Heaven 45. Romans ... grace of God 46. 1 Corinthians} the power 47. 2 Corinthians   of love 48. Galatians ... freedom from ... 49. Ephesians...our glorious treasure 50. Philippians... servant's heart 51. Colossians ... Godhead Trinity 52. 1 Thessalonians} our coming 53. 2 Thessalonians      King 54. 1 Timothy } our mediator & 55. 2 Timothy } our faithful 56. Titus        }       pastor 57. Philemon   } 58. Hebrews ... everlasting covenant 59. James ... the One who heals ... 60. 1 Peter} our 61. 2 Peter       shepherd 62. 1 John} 63. 2 John } lover coming for His 64. 3 John}            Bride 65. Jude    } 66. Revelation ... King of kings and                          Lord of lords

that's 66 (kinda) and He's so much MORE

I want to see God  as each of these to me  in 2013
God as ...

Authority Son of God my Savior my Truth Light of the world my Resurrection my Conqueror Bread of life Grace Omniscient, All Knowing Patient Omnipotent, Powerful Wise my Peace Sufficient Brilliance, Shining my Reward author of my faith Love Pure King of kings

as found in the  New Testament
So, here's the BIG QUESTION, how can I invite and get you to join me in GIVING THANKS for who God is to you (us)! I'd like to make it easy for you to focus on just one and share how or why or something about "I'm grateful to God as my ... " or "I'm grateful for God's ... (quality) and perhaps the Scripture verse that makes you think of Him this way ... You are in no way limited to the above!
I do not want to confine us to either a letter (like A-Z) or a book in the Bible, unless you'd prefer that  ... In any event, whether you're wanting to do something on your blog or just read along on mine, please join me and let's focus our attitudes on gratitude on one of God's Attributes each week. By now, most of you who know me know that the beginning of each year is time to FAST and PRAY! This works perfectly for you to remember how each Thurs. will work by my FAST acrostic:
F: Focus on a name of God
A: Ask God in prayer to reveal Himself as that name
S: Stillness. Be still and listen to God Speak to you in His Word or as you Soak in His Presence
T: Thank Him and Tell. Say it out loud, give a Testimony for how He is this to you or you need Him to be this now.
[If you'd like a Linky, let me know, or you can just leave a comment letting us know where to go find you... ]and if you're not blogging about it, please tell us in the comments your response for the week to ... 
"I'm grateful to God as my ... " because ...  or  "I'm grateful for God's ... (quality) because ... (Scripture would be nice, if ya' got one in your head or just come back when you do, the blog's always here even when I'm not)
Thanks! I think this is the perfect way to start the New Year - looking to HIM and ALL HE IS every day of the year! I hope this brings you inspiration and fills you with a contagious gratitude attitude. Thank you and may God meet you right where you are and take you to places you've never been or encountered in HIM! 
***
Since this is already way tooooooooo long ... I will just give you a brief example of how I hope to share this: Today's: God is my Creator (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13) "Worship is celebrating Him as Our Creator and thanking Him for all that He has created." There is a "hidden power in praising God as your Creator," acknowledging Him and accepting what He created, "releases Him to create New Life in you". All that God creates is good! You are created in His image. God loves what He creates. We are made for His Glory to shine through us. God loves all His Creation and we should love His Creation also by how we treat and take care of it all. Heavenly Father, I adore You as Creator of everything in heaven and earth. All things were created by You and You created all things good! I praise You for Your beautiful creation! Oh Lord, I thank You because You created me and gave me life then You breathed New Life into me as I became Your daughter and asked You to be Lord in my life as my precious Savior. Thank You Holy Spirit, for continually renewing me and helping me to show that I am made in God's image, as You chisel away all that is not. I give You thanks as my Creator!
See, short and simple, not that difficult. You can do more or less. You can share more on God as Creator personally.
Just write on being grateful 2 God 4 who He is! (as a prayer)
Next week: God is Admirable. (Exodus 15:11) except if you (or even I) find another one. Please feel free to be "Grateful 2 God 4" any of "Who He is", especially if you have something that happens that you'd like to choose another that fits you and your circumstance better.
For example, finances are tight, and you need Jehovah Jireh to provide or you'd like to express your thanks to Him for providing!!! 
You are not confined to any rules just BE GRATEFUL and GIVE THANKS to God for how He is manifesting Himself in your life to you! Let's focus on God and His Great Attributes and many Names! 
*There's a Bible study starting on Jan. 7th at Bible Cafe for Women on "Experiencing God" and the new expanded, revised edition of the book has a great list in the appendix. (I just can't get that one yet in Kindle or I'd share that ... ) but the list is endless, just like God and His love!
ONCE AGAIN (in case by now you totally forgot-my fault) Please tell us in the comments your response for the week to ...  "I'm grateful to God as my ... " because ...  or  "I'm grateful for God's ... (quality) because ... (Scripture would be nice if ya' got one in your head, or just come back, the blog's always here even when I'm not) or better yet you can write a prayer to Him right in my comments of how you experience God as that Name or quality of God