My Psalm 148

I praise you, LORD.
I praise you under the night sky,
I praise you while driving into the sun.

I praise you for the faculty to praise you.
I praise you that my brain works,
that my tongue moves,
that my heart resounds with your praise.

I praise you for the sun you created,
and for the moon and stars you hung in place.

I praise you for the unfathomable expanse of the universe,
and for the mysteries of deep space.

I praise you for signing your work,
and making it reasonable for men to praise it.

I praise you for this clockwork solar system
and the ancient and future splendor of the skies.

I praise you for this earth,
its resiliency,
beauty,
majesty,
mystery,
efficiency,
and energy.

I praise you for the sheer numbers in your Creation:
20,000 species of fish,
6,000 species of reptiles,
9,000 birds,
1,000 amphibians,
15,000 species of mammals
and over a million insect species...that we know of!

I praise you for lightning and hail,
snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do your bidding,
for Kilimanjaro and the Piedmont,
for almond trees and pomegranate,
for wild horses and curious marmots,
tiny hummingbirds and great egrets,
for fall plumage and winter blankets,
for the strength of young men,
the beauty of young maids,
the wisdom of the old
and the patience of the aged.

I praise you, LORD,
for the joy of praising your name,
for the grace of beholding your splendor
in earth and sky.

I praise you, Champion of your people,
the praise of all your saints,
the joy of people close to your heart.

I praise you.