Sometimes You Just Have to Praise

5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.

O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Psalm 36:5-9

Thank You Father for Your amazing love!

How high, how wide, how deep it reaches to show us your faithfulness.

Your righteousness - there is none like You!

How do we describe your tenderness toward us - Priceless!

And when life begins to bear down on us - even scorch us,

we find refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

You prepare a banquet fit for a King, and you invite us to dine!

Thank You for being my Father, my God.

Amazing, simply amazing!

How can you not?

I was reading Ephesians chapter 1 today and was immediately drawn into the passage.

I love how the apostle Paul went straight from his greeting the believers at Ephesus - right into praise. Look at verse 3.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

How do you chose to give God praise? Do you do it with singing? Through prayer? Do you write your heartfelt thoughts in poetic form or as random thoughts in your personal journal?

Why do we praise Him? Because He alone is worthy of our Worship. He alone is Holy. He alone is to be exalted above all others, above all things.

Why do we bless Him? We bless Him because He has so richly blessed us. When we bless Him we praise Him for who He is and for what He has done.

How has He blessed us? He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Notice the completeness of that blessing. Every blessing - nothing is lacking.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless
in his sight. Ephesians 1:4

We have been given the benefit of knowing God.

• We were chosen by Him for salvation.


• We were adopted as His children. He has forgiven our past. He has secured our future. He has fulfilled our present.


• We have been given the Holy Spirit as a comforter and guide. The Holy Spirit bears fruit in our lives with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.


• We have truly been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

And it's all because of Jesus. Because of what He did on the cross. He took upon Himself our guilt, our shame, our punishment so that we could have forgiveness, eternal life and hope.

I don't know about you..., but like Paul I just have to praise Him!

Thanking & Praising

As I was thinking about what to write today, the words of the Apostle Paul came to mind.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

This weekend was such a good weekend. Jonathan returned from camp exhausted and thrilled. I see a joy in him that I haven't seen in quite some time. I thank each and every one of you for praying for him. I know that God rekindled a flame in his heart this weekend and my heart is just overjoyed. I just can't help but praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

• When we seek Him, we definitely find Him.
• When we call upon His name, He hears us and always answers.
• When we give our children into His hands, He loves on them and returns them changed.

This afternoon, Randy had his trial spinal cord stimulator implanted. We have been waiting for this day for such a long time. The procedure went well and the stimulator is doing its thing. Now we just have to wait and see if he can tolerate the stimulation, if his pain is reduced by at least 50%, and if he is able to increase his mobility. Once again, it is in God's hands.

Once again I would like to ask that you join me in praying for him. As we seek God, call upon His name, I am trusting Him into God's hands. There is definitely no better place for any of us to be.

I have come to love each of you and thank God for your friendship and support. May He bless each of your homes and families! We serve an amazing, loving, kind, compassionate, joy-giving God!

Compulsary Praise - I just have to

Sometimes we praise because we choose to;
other times we praise because we want to.
Occasionally we praise because we have to -
because, if we don't, the rocks will cry out!
That's compulsory praise!

~ Beth Moore

Jesus the One and Only

When I think about the journey that I am on,

the places you are leading me,

the tenderness with which you guide me,

I just have to praise you!

When the waves are crashing down,
and the clouds are trying to hide your glory,
I just have to praise you!

When I'm surrounded by darkness,
in the quiet of the night,
I see your bright, shining light and
I just have to praise you!

When the silence ends,
the dawn breaks on a new day,
and the whole world is filled with wonder a new
I just have to praise you!

When peace is like a river gently flowing,
and the earth bursts forth with the fragrance of You,
I just have to praise you!

My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
I praise You for your pardon-filled grace,
I praise You for your over-flowing joy,
I praise You for your heartfelt compassion,
I praise You for your priceless forgiveness,
I praise You for your quiet peace,
I praise You for your powerful strength,
I praise You for your long-suffering patience,
I praise You for your affectionate love,
I praise You for Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my God.

How about you?

Don't let the rocks steal your thunderous praise!

Extol and Exalt

I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
Psalm 34:1-5

I just feel like extolling the Lord and exalting His glorious name Lord today. God has been so good to us. When I take a step back and look at His hand prints on our lives..., how can I not Praise His Name?

As I've written about on my blog before, these have been difficult days for our family. Randy has been virtually in bed since September with chronic, debilitating back pain. For weeks and weeks on end we hit brick wall after brick wall while trying to get him some help.

But when God begins to move..., things move in miraculous ways. In late February we really became discouraged. Led by God we went back to the Dr's he had before we moved to CA seven years ago. What a blessing these men have been. Men of wisdom and compassion who are willing to "fight for" their patients.

From one referral to the next I can see how God is moving, working everything out! Pending the approval of the insurance company (which is really up to God and not them anyway), Randy will have a spinal cord stimulator implanted in just a matter of weeks. This is a device that introduces low levels of electrical current to the lower portion of the spinal cord to block the sensation of pain. Basically, it causes the brain to sense a positive stimulation instead of the negative pain. Pretty amazing stuff.

One of the hoops the insurance company requires is a Psych evaluation to make sure that the pain he is feeling is actually physical instead of emotional. No problem! We figured he could go do his time, get the required signature and be on his way.

But God had so much more in store. What an awesome experience this was. The Dr.'s father was a Methodist Pastor. The events of the last 2 years of our lives were very similar to a situation that his father had gone through. He had seen first hand the toll that this took on his dad. The conversations they shared were not only about the physical, but also the spiritual. God used this Dr. to minister to Randy. But our God didn't stop there..., He also used this visit to minister to the Dr. at the same time.

God your praise is on my lips. No one can orchestrate these types of encounters but you. Proverbs 19:21 says,

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

I praise you God for fulfilling your purpose in our lives today! Thank You for directing us to the right Dr.'s at exactly the right time! You are never too early. You are never too late! You are always on time!

Praise Your Holy Name! There is NONE like YOU! You give strength to the weak, wisdom to the seeking and your Spirit to lead the way. You are our Rock, our Refuge, our Strong and Mighty Tower! You are our Shelter in the midst of the storm. You protect, redeem, guard, heal, raise up, restore and rescue! My soul boasts in YOU and YOU alone! You are so worthy of my praise!

Does anyone else feel like lifting up the name of Jesus today?

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Sunday Praise

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

O Lord, you preserve both man and beast.

How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men

find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36:5-8

Flourishing Faith & Hope

Do you realize that there are many olive trees in Israel that are 1600-2000 years old that are still producing fruit?


King David in Psalm 52 says these words,

8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love
for ever and ever.

9 I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Like an olive tree, David's roots ran very deep. Since he was a young boy, he learned to love God. His faith was a faith that had stood the test of time. As trials would come, he knew who he could trust - his faithful God.

When he was alone in the fields and longing for company, worship would lead him into the throne room of Heaven where he would find sweet fellowship with His God.

When he a lion was stalking the sheep in his care, David found strength that could only come from the Lord as he turned the predator into prey.

When he was tired from the long journey and longing for home, David found peace in the midst of a restless night. It was the kind of peace that passes all understanding, a true gift from a loving God.

David could stand firmly upon his faith and say, "I will trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever". His was a faith that was tried and true. He knew that deep down inside, he was just a lowly shepherd boy who found himself sitting on the throne of Israel. If any praise was to be given, it ALL belonged to the Lord. For only He was and is worthy of praise.

David knew that his only hope in life was in the mighty, matchless, merciful name of God. Armies would rise and armies would fall. But our God - Jehovah is the same yesterday, today and forever. He alone is worthy of our praise!

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Father, my hope is in You and You alone! May my roots run deep and my faith flourish as I trust in your unfailing love today, tomorrow and forever. I praise you with my whole heart as I reflect on all that you have done in my life. In the presence of the Saints today I praise you! Bravo God! Bravo! You are my hope!

Living life Open-Handed

Is this how you live your life?

Or is this?

I only have one day left in my study by Beth Moore entitled, "A Heart Like His" focusing on the life of David. Today we find David concluding his address before the officials and leaders of the nation of Israel. His son Solomon is now King and the days of David on this earth are growing short. If you missed part one of his address, please see yesterdays post.

David has set all things in order for his son to take the throne and the leadership of the people of God. It was God who chose Solomon and He fully equipped him for this role. The only thing he lacked was age and experience. David admonished the leadership to follow and support his young son. And then he does what a well seasoned leader does, he led by example.

David has spent the last several years gathering everything that would be needed to build the temple of God. God had not allowed David to build it himself because "he was a warrior and had shed blood", but he prepared Solomon for the task. Now David stood before the people and said,

"Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD ?" 1 Chronicles 29:3-5

David had given his entire life in service and devotion to the Lord. Throughout his life he gave of his time, talent and treasure. And in a final act of leadership and sacrifice he gave his personal treasure back to the Lord.

In response to David's sacrificial act of worship before the Lord, the people joined in the giving. It was overwhelming, spontaneous and courageous as the leaders reached into their pockets and gave whole-heartedly - not giving to David, but to the Lord.

As the leaders gave, the people rejoiced. Praise broke out among the assembly and David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly. Spontaneous praise and worship! David was overwhelmed by the greatness of God and His glory and Majesty. His heart was full of thanksgiving and praise for our glorious God. He ended by saying,

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you." 1 Chronicles 29:14-16

David learned a lesson in his lifetime that I hope each of us will learn too. EVERYTHING that you have, that belongs to you, God has placed in your hand. With that wonderful blessing comes a choice. You can close your fist tightly around what you've been given and say, "This is mine". Or you can open up you hand and with thanksgiving, give it back to Him to be used for His glory.

The choice is yours. What I've found in my life is that God cannot put more into a hand that is tightly grasped. With an open hand, the more I give back to God, the more He is able to place in my hand to bless others.

David led the people to give that day and for the first time He witnessed the entire kingdom in unity before God.

Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.

Face down in praise before the Lord. What better place to be!

Will you follow the example of the King? Will you live your life with an open hand, ready to give, ready to bless, an example for others? Who knows what God will do in your lifetime.

With Only One Word

If you could only describe God using one word, what would that word be?

I was reading 2 Samuel chapter 22 today and it has really stirred up my spirit. Battle after battle had really taken its toll on David. I wrote yesterday how he was to the point of total exhaustion.

But today is a new day! The battle is over and God had granted David and his men victory over all of their enemies.

In typical fashion, King David throws caution to the wind and really gets his praise on.

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from
the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent men you save me. (vs. 1-4)

• You can't know Him as rock, if you have never found yourself sinking.
• You can't know Him as fortress, if you have never found yourself exposed and vulnerable.
• You can't know Him as deliverer, if you have never felt your backed into a corner with no place to run.
• You can't know Him as refuge, if you have never found yourself in trouble and alone.
• You can't know Him as shield, if you have never been under attack.
• You can't know Him as stronghold, if you have never lost your way.
• You can't know Him as savior, if you have not recognized you are lost without hope without Him.

Like David, MY God has been ALL of these to me and so much more. The more that I walk with Him, the more that I love Him. The more I know Him, the more I love Him.

If I could only describe God using one word today, that word would be faithful. He is faithful to love, faithful to comfort, faithful to forgive, faithful to encourage, faithful to provide, faithful to bless, faithful!

How about you?

Magnificent View

Seek Him and you will find Him!

You will find Him in His word!

You will find Him when you pray!

You will find Him in His people!

You will find Him in nature!

God I thank You for showing yourself to me in a marvelous way. The beautiful snow-capped mountains. The magnificent clouds that hovered in the sky! Just seeing the beauty of Your creation drew my heart into an attitude of Worship! For only YOU are worthy of my praise! Lord I love you!

Authentic Praise

More than any other day of the week, I look forward to Sunday because I think of it as a day to praise. This is the day when I gather myself with other believers and we focus our attention on God. We study His Word. We sing praises to His name. We hear a message proclaimed. The hearts of fellow believers are drawn to the One who alone is worthy of our praise.

The following is take from A Heart Like His by Beth Moore.

Praise requires focus. I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. Psalm 9:1

Praise is not confined. Each of the following original Hebrew words have been translated to praise in the Psalms:

• Yadhah: most often translated to speak out, confess.
• Tehillah: a laudation, hymn, a song.
• Zamar: to play an instrument, or make noise.
• Halah: to be bright, to shine, to boast, to praise. At the root is the idea of radiance.

Praise is a choice. Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5

Praise is to become a habit. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15

Praise becomes compulsory when we experience true intimacy with God. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1-4

Praise is contagious. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalm 52:9

Praise Him for who He is universally. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:1-4

Praise Him for who He is personally. Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. Psalm 144:1-4

Praise Him with a new song. I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:1-4

Praise invites the audience of God. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. Psalm 22:3 The original Hebrew word means, "to sit and dwell".

Won't you praise Him now?

Not to us, O Lord, not to us...

For several weeks I have been working my way through, "A Heart Like His" which I believe is one of the first Beth Moore study books.

This morning I made my way to 2 Samuel chapter 8 where we find King David is in the midst of cleaning house (I wish someone would come clean mine). Unfortunately, his type of cleaning house was not literal, but more figurative. David was conquering the surrounding nations in the land of Canaan.

In the prior chapter God had promised him that he would have rest from his enemies, but first he had to subdue them. As David experienced victory after victory in battle, he never became confused about the source of his strength. His strength came from the Lord. He never became self-confident or over-confident in his success. His success was because of the Lord. He never considered the spoils of war as belonging to him, he instead dedicated them back to the Lord.

At this point in David's life, he had all of his priorities in the right place. He didn't want to go anywhere that God did not lead Him. He did not what to do anything that God did not tell Him to do. He was a man after God's own heart. Everything that God placed into his hands, he gave back to God. All of the glory belonged to the Lord!

That's the type of life that I want to live. One where I know who I am, I know whose I am, and I know to whom all of the glory belongs. I want the words of my heart to be,

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1

Lord, all that I have, all that I am is because of You! Continue to chip away at the rough edges of my heart until all that is left brings you glory! I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice, as a spiritual act of worship. May it be pleasing in your sight.

Sacrifice of Praise

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16

We have a nifty little chorus that we sing on Sunday’s and it goes like this:

We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord.
We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord.
And we offer up to You, the sacrifices of thanks giving
And we offer up to you, the sacrifices of joy.

When does an offering of praise before our God become a sacrifice of praise? Jill Briscoe in her book “Prayer that Works” writes, “It means that, when you can’t praise God for what he has allowed, you praise Him for who He is despite what he has allowed.”

Job is a man who has given us a living example of this principle. In Job chapter 1 we see that Job is a man who had it all. He was healthy, wealthy and wise. He loved God and God loved him. God even called him “blameless and upright”.

One day Job’s world came crashing in. He lost all that he had except his wife and his health. His wealth, his children, his servants were all GONE, just like that. In chapter 2 Job’s wife suggested that he curse God and die, but Job would not. Instead Job tore his robe and fell to the ground in worship. Then he offered a sacrifice of praise:

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Job 1:20-22

It took a real spiritual sacrifice for Job to lay his rising resentment, bitterness and anger on the altar and to chose instead to praise God. He didn't praise God for the circumstance, but he instead praised the God of the circumstance.

When life is not going well, our praise is a costly sacrifice because we have to give up our will, our expectations for His sovereign will. King David said,

“I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." 2 Samuel 24:24

What are you willing to lay down on the altar as a sacrifice of praise?

Who is like you?

O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD,and your faithfulness surrounds you.You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. (Psalm 89:8-9)

I praise You O God because there is no one like you. You are ruler of the nations. You are Savior of the world..., and you love me personally, individually, eternally. At your Word the winds and waves obey. To hear the words, "Peace be still" and to know that what once appeared to be totally out of control was fully under Your control.

Who is like you O God? No one! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!

In Your Word you tell me, "Fear not, for you have redeemed me; You have summoned me by name; I am yours. When I pass through the waters You will be with me; and when I pass through the rivers they will not sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned; the flames will not set me ablaze." Why? Because you are the Lord, my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior. (Taken from Isaiah 43:1-3)

God I pledge to you today my undying love and heartfelt adoration! Thank you for being My God and for allowing me to be your child. There is no one like You!

Thankful Thursday #4

It's that time of the week again where we come together for Thankful Thursday hosted by Sonya. I was reminded today of a quote that I love. It is so very appropriate for this post:

The more inclined I am to applaud in His presence - the more inclined He is to provide an encore! -Beth Moore

Here is my standing ovation for today:

1. I thank you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made! What You see in me may not match up to what the world sees or even I see when standing in front of the mirror..., but I am exactly who you created me to be. You are the creator who made me, formed me and I live to bring pleasure to you! Bravo God! Bravo!
2. I thank you God for being my mighty rock and my refuge. You are my fortress, my deliverer, my protector, my strength. You are my peace, my joy, my passion. All that I am, all that I ever hope to be is in You! Bravo God! Bravo!
3. I thank you God for every good and perfect gift that you have brought into my life. Words cannot adequately express how good you have been to me. You've never given me what I deserved, because of your love, because of your grace. But instead you have given me your best - your perfect Son Jesus, salvation, forgiveness, life everlasting, hope now and for eternity. Bravo God! Bravo!
4. I thank you God for "working all things together for my good". Oh, when I've been walking the hard road I didn't always see it at that time. But upon reflection, Your hand prints have been all over my life - from birth until now. All things have been for my good. They have molded me into the woman I am today, Bravo God! Bravo!
5. I thank you for how far I have come and how far you have brought me. I thank you that as I look forward into my future, regardless of my circumstances, my future is bright because you are there! Bravo God! Bravo!

How about you?

Having a rough day? Feel like Satan is nipping at your heels? Did you get some bad news? Were you disappointed by someone today? Did you just wake up in a grumpy mood?

If the answer to one of these questions is yes..., or the answer to all of these questions is no..., it's time to offer up a sacrifice of praise!

David was being hunted by King Saul. No matter where he went, no matter what he did, Saul wanted him D-E-A-D, dead! David is living his life on the run, one step in front of a madman and his army. Can you even imagine? Talk about your bad day!

How did David respond?

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. Psalm 54:6-7

Think about that..., a freewill offering. When I was growing up and the Pastor said he was going to be taking up a "freewill offering", he expected everyone to reach for their wallets. Deuteronomy 16 tells us that a freewill offering during the Feast of Weeks was to be an offering that you gave in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.

Here David, in spite of his circumstances, was giving God a free will offering of PRAISE! Can you imagine offering up a praise offering in proportion to the blessings you've been given?

One thing I do know, whenever I take the focus off of my situation.., off of my most pressing circumstance and place it on my Lord, my perspective begins to change. It's like closing one eye and taking a half dollar and holding it in front of your open eye. That half dollar can capture your entire focus. But begin to pull that half dollar away, inch by inch, and it begins to diminish in size.

That's how it is when we shift our focus off of the ugliness of the day, off of the pain and hurt and begin praising the one who is worthy of our Praise! Like the old hymn says,

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of His glory and grace.