#85 - I love you because....

Good morning! It's going to be a great day! Amen? Amen!


So... I began reading today in Proverbs and then I just felt the urge to read Psalms backwards. Not literally.... but to start at Psalm 134 versus starting at Psalm 14. I did and the Holy Spirit told me that's as far as He wanted me to go. So... short read today. Psalm 134 only has 3 verses.

Psalm 134:1-3 - BEHOLD, BLESS (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]! The Lord bless you out of Zion, even He Who made heaven and earth.

Affectionately and gratefully praise. 


I was reminded of a frequent conversation that Tyler and I often have..... at least weekly, if not daily. It goes something like this. 

• "Do you like me?" 
• "Yep!"
• "Why do you like me? Tell me." 
• "Well... I like you because your cute. I like you because you brought me a butterfinger. I like you because you love Jesus. I like you because you read books all the time and are always growing...."
• "Yah? You like that? What else?"
• "Yep! I like my husband growing. What else? I like you because you let me be a mama and you let me stay at home with my boy. I like you because you are out chasing our dream and making it happen. I like you because you provide for us. I like you because you're HOT!"
• "HEY!" 

It may continue... or that may be the end of it.... but pick a day, any day, and it is often that one of us asks the question, "Do you like me?" Then it is followed up with the wonderful, famous question of most 2 year olds, "WHY?" 


As I read the Psalm today... the WHOLE Psalm focused on the action of blessing the Lord. Praising the Lord. And since we use the Amplified Bible... it goes further to say affectionately and gratefully praise. 


I will be completely honest... I don't bust out in a "Praise & Worship" time every morning during my quiet time. I'm sure it would probably be good to do, but I don't do it. I remember a time where Tyler and I were praying and needing a breakthrough in a certain area of our life so we committed to praising through it. Every morning for 30 days, we got up, put on praise and worship music and praised God together for 30 minutes. We may have lifted our hands, got on our face before God, some mornings our songs were accompanied with tears. We spent time praising and thanking God. It was actually pretty wonderful. We looked forward to it. 


As I was asking the Holy Spirit about it this morning I got a pretty eye opening response, "I like you to thank Me. I like you to have a grateful and appreciative heart. I like you to tell Me! Amy, you were made in MY IMAGE. You like people telling you good things about you, where do you think you got it from?! ME! I love my children telling me all the things they are thankful for. It blesses Me."


I began telling God my list today... and thanking him! It began like this:

• Lord, Thank you for that cutie picture of Tyler Junior, and the nice frame.
• Thank you for his play room.
• Thank you for giving me creative ability to paint.
• Thank you that the valance turned out well and it looks cute.
• Thank you a for my yummy water with raspberry joint health twist tubes. 
• Thank you for Tyler Juniors blue car. 
• Thank you for my health.
• Thank you that I have an awesome husband!
• Thank you that I get to stay at home!
• Thank you that You hear me and I can talk to You!
• Thank you for blessing our business with growth.
• Thank you my family and how awesome they all are. 
• Thank you .........

And the list goes on. 


We were made in God's image! It's sometimes amazing to think that things we like are no coincidence. He likes it too!  


Today maybe you could take some time... either put on a praise and worship CD.... or stream it on Pandora or You.Tube, and sing praises to God. Worship Him. Tell Him how wonderful He is, how much you love Him. Or make a list... maybe you write it down in a journal..... or maybe as you drive down the road you just have a conversation with God.... you just spend time thanking him for everything! Thank him for your car, whether it's good or bad, Praise God you have one! Your Job! Your children! Your spouse, friends, family, house! Praise the Lord! Thank Him today. All that you are thankful for, or all the reasons why you love Him! "I love you because....." 


And the greatest reason of all.... I love you because you first loved me and you sent Jesus to die for me. Thank you that you loved me enough to give me life! Thank you for my salvation!