Each morning Spatzle wakes up, takes a few good stretches and then is ready to face the day…with gusto! A little breakfast here, a few good scratches there, a sniff or two under the table and well…life is just grand!

I know! You’re not a morning person. But is that really an excuse to not grab hold of every single day with all you’ve got?

It may take you a cup or two of caffeine, that’s okay. The point is to be excited, intentional and thankful about the day God has given. Easy to say and do when you’re on a cruise ship eating eight meals a day. Not so easy to do when your burying someone you love or watching your child walk out of your life or seeing your dream go up in smoke, maybe literally.

But, even those days are from God’s hand and for His purposes. Is our faith entrenched enough to be intentional for those days, to thank God for those days? Can we say with Job…

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21 (NASB)

For me, I have to wonder. Because even on good and happy days, I am not always excited that, “this is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Nor am I intentional about making the most of every day. If I can’t meet the good days with fanfare how will I ever have victory on the not so good days? “Lord, increase my faith!” and let me learn this lesson well!