As I wrap up my week of “thankful” posts, I’ve saved the best – and most important – for last.
Words are not enough to express my gratitude to God for sending his Son, Jesus, to this earth to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for my sins so that I might experience eternal life with Him.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16
I’m thankful for the freedom that brings to my life.
“My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free!” – Acts 13:38-39 (CEV)
I’m thankful for the peace that I can experience as a result.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
I’m thankful for the healing that’s available to me.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5
I’m so thankful that all of these things are freely available to all of us. All we have to do is believe.
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him wil never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’.” – Romans 10:9-13
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Friday, November 26, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thankful for... Provision
Today, I am thankful for provision for all of my physical needs. I think in this case, the old saying “you never know what you have until it’s gone” really applies. While you shouldn’t have to compare yourself to others in order to be thankful for what you have, in this case it can help to put things into perspective. Let me explain.
My husband has been called to take the gospel to remote parts of the world, and at one point he had thought that he would need to go it alone without a wife and family to tie him down. So, when he met me, he decided to put me through a missionary bootcamp of sorts to make sure that I could cut it outside of North America - since I’m such a delicate southern girl. However, he forgot about the whole Steel Magnolias phenomenon and was very pleased when I passed his test with flying colors. I laugh about it now, but I really did learn some very valuable life lessons during that time.
I learned that I take it for granted that the lights will come on when I flip the switch. I learned that I never have to think twice about whether I’ll have enough clean water to drink or enough warm water for a shower. I learned that air conditioning is one of God’s greatest blessings – especially when it’s 100+ degrees and 99% humidity! I learned that a readily available Western-style toilet is one of life’s greatest luxuries. Many of these things are just part of an assumed baseline standard of living here in the US. However, there are millions of people around the world who don’t have clean water to drink or enough food to eat or even a clean, dry place to sleep at night. After experiencing some of those conditions myself, I became acutely aware of how abundantly blessed I am.
So, today, I am thankful for my house and my car. I’m thankful that I have plenty of food to eat and plenty of clean water to drink. I’m thankful for my job. I’m thankful for all of the little luxuries that I enjoy every day – television, radio, all manner of technology,... I’m thankful for heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. I’m thankful that I can take a hot shower any time I want to – day or night! I am thankful that I have clothes to wear. And, I am thankful that even in tough economic times, I’ve always had enough for me and for my family.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20
My husband has been called to take the gospel to remote parts of the world, and at one point he had thought that he would need to go it alone without a wife and family to tie him down. So, when he met me, he decided to put me through a missionary bootcamp of sorts to make sure that I could cut it outside of North America - since I’m such a delicate southern girl. However, he forgot about the whole Steel Magnolias phenomenon and was very pleased when I passed his test with flying colors. I laugh about it now, but I really did learn some very valuable life lessons during that time.
I learned that I take it for granted that the lights will come on when I flip the switch. I learned that I never have to think twice about whether I’ll have enough clean water to drink or enough warm water for a shower. I learned that air conditioning is one of God’s greatest blessings – especially when it’s 100+ degrees and 99% humidity! I learned that a readily available Western-style toilet is one of life’s greatest luxuries. Many of these things are just part of an assumed baseline standard of living here in the US. However, there are millions of people around the world who don’t have clean water to drink or enough food to eat or even a clean, dry place to sleep at night. After experiencing some of those conditions myself, I became acutely aware of how abundantly blessed I am.
So, today, I am thankful for my house and my car. I’m thankful that I have plenty of food to eat and plenty of clean water to drink. I’m thankful for my job. I’m thankful for all of the little luxuries that I enjoy every day – television, radio, all manner of technology,... I’m thankful for heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. I’m thankful that I can take a hot shower any time I want to – day or night! I am thankful that I have clothes to wear. And, I am thankful that even in tough economic times, I’ve always had enough for me and for my family.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Fortune Cookies and Oprah
As a general rule, I don’t let fortune cookies or Oprah Winfrey have too much influence on my actions. However, today, those two forces have conspired together to inspire a series of blog posts that I want to write this week.
First, the fortune cookie… We had lunch today at a Chinese restaurant, and when I opened my fortune cookie at the end of the meal, I found the following bit of wisdom: “Do you see difficulty behind every opportunity, or opportunity behind every difficulty?” Hmmmm… I had to think about that one, and I’ll confess that I didn’t really like my answer. I’m not always the most optimistic person, but lately, it seems like I’ve been more negative / complaining / whiney than usual – and I’m not proud of that.
As I pondered those thoughts, my mind turned to the Thanksgiving holiday that’s coming up this week, and I wondered whether infusing my life with a little more thankfulness might help to combat some of that negativity. Enter Oprah Winfrey… A few years ago, Oprah promoted the concept of a gratitude journal where you spend some time each day writing down things for which you are thankful. I actually thought that was pretty good advice at the time although I never implemented the practice myself. So, this week, I decided to use my blog as a gratitude journal to help me focus on the many blessings in my life.
I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for me to become overly focused on the hard or frustrating or negative things in my life. Dealing with those things takes a lot of emotional energy, so it’s natural for your focus to be drawn in that direction. But, I’m learning that if I’m not careful, those things can drain me dry. And, the fact of the matter is, I actually have it pretty good right now. There are definitely areas in my life where I’m struggling, but laus deo (Praise be to God!) – the good in my life far outweighs the bad. And, I know that God is in control and has a plan for everything to work together for my good, even if it’s not clear right now.
So, I’m going to take some time this week to pause and count my blessings. And, I’m going to write them down as a memorial - to let the world know how good God has been to me and to serve as a reminder for me one day in the future when things aren’t going so well.
I challenge you to do the same.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
First, the fortune cookie… We had lunch today at a Chinese restaurant, and when I opened my fortune cookie at the end of the meal, I found the following bit of wisdom: “Do you see difficulty behind every opportunity, or opportunity behind every difficulty?” Hmmmm… I had to think about that one, and I’ll confess that I didn’t really like my answer. I’m not always the most optimistic person, but lately, it seems like I’ve been more negative / complaining / whiney than usual – and I’m not proud of that.
As I pondered those thoughts, my mind turned to the Thanksgiving holiday that’s coming up this week, and I wondered whether infusing my life with a little more thankfulness might help to combat some of that negativity. Enter Oprah Winfrey… A few years ago, Oprah promoted the concept of a gratitude journal where you spend some time each day writing down things for which you are thankful. I actually thought that was pretty good advice at the time although I never implemented the practice myself. So, this week, I decided to use my blog as a gratitude journal to help me focus on the many blessings in my life.
I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for me to become overly focused on the hard or frustrating or negative things in my life. Dealing with those things takes a lot of emotional energy, so it’s natural for your focus to be drawn in that direction. But, I’m learning that if I’m not careful, those things can drain me dry. And, the fact of the matter is, I actually have it pretty good right now. There are definitely areas in my life where I’m struggling, but laus deo (Praise be to God!) – the good in my life far outweighs the bad. And, I know that God is in control and has a plan for everything to work together for my good, even if it’s not clear right now.
So, I’m going to take some time this week to pause and count my blessings. And, I’m going to write them down as a memorial - to let the world know how good God has been to me and to serve as a reminder for me one day in the future when things aren’t going so well.
I challenge you to do the same.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
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