Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Praise God!
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Give Thanks and Praise
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Grateful
1 John 4:9-10
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only
Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins.
I thank God for the gift of His Son.
When I volunteered in Sara’s first grade class, she had the
children write three things they were thankful for. In this process, they
learned to write words and understand how to form sentences. At the same time,
they thought about what they appreciated. Many of the children wrote family and
pets. I had to chuckle when a couple of kids added Taco Bell to their list. One
little guy even said he was grateful for George Washington. Through their sincerity,
they expressed what they appreciated most.
If I were asked to write three things I’m thankful for, I’d
certainly say family and my dog, but I’m not sure Taco Bell would make my list.
I do appreciate George Washington and the early settlers of our country and the
sacrifices they made for our freedom, but I have another sacrifice I appreciate
more.
I am so thankful for Jesus. You see Jesus’ sacrifice of His
life on the cross and His incredible resurrection give me hope, because when I
leave this world I’ll have a home in heaven. His sacrifice also gives me
freedom. Freedom from Satan and his cronies, freedom to worship and live my
life in peace. Jesus’ sacrifice gives me joy and a peace that passes
understanding. God fills my heart with love I can pour over my family, friends,
and neighbors.
In this season of thanksgiving, I am beyond grateful for
Jesus.
What are you thankful for?
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Walking With God
James 4:7-10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Come
near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you
sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your
joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up.
Have you ever walked away from God?
There was a time, years ago, when I inched
farther and farther away from God. Let me tell you—it was a dark and lonely
place. I went through the motions—going to church, praying empty prayers, and
smiling when I didn’t feel like it, then God pounded on the door of my heart
and called me to come back home. He pursued me, and I answered. I grieved over
the distance I’d placed between God and me, over the sins in my life, and the
sorrow in my heart. You know what? God opened His great big, beautiful arms to
me and welcomed me back to Him. Ever since that day, I’ve not stepped away
again. Instead, I’ve found comfort, peace, strength, joy, and hope in the arms
of the Lord, and He has blessed me with opportunities to share His great love.
The book of James holds many nuggets of wisdom
and truth. “Come near to God and He will come near to you,” is a promise I can
count on. I’ve experienced His closeness in my life, and I’m thankful for God’s
constant presence. I’m also thankful for Jesus and His grace, for forgiveness
and His unfailing love.
In this month of Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for
the Bible which gives me wisdom, God who holds me close, and Jesus who gave His
life for my sins so I can someday meet Him in heaven.
This world is not an easy place, but with the
Lord by our side, we will thrive.
Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Hope from a Thankful Heart
Saturday, November 5, 2022
Thankful for Communion
Mark 14:22-25
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had
given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take
it; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many,” he said to them. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink
again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the
kingdom of God.”
I remember getting into trouble as a child during
communion.
When I was a little girl, before the establishment of junior
church, I sat with my parents in the pew and listened to the sermon, sang the
songs, and tried to behave. One Sunday, when the deacons passed the communion
plates of little wafers of bread and tiny cups of juice, I got curious. I
reached to take a piece and my mom let me know that was not the thing to do. If
I remember correctly, she took me by the hand and took me outside to explain
why. From that point on I didn’t touch the trays until I confessed my love for
Jesus and was baptized.
From the day I became a believer, I’ve been enamored with
the time of communion at church. That moment when I bow my head and consider
the sacrifice Jesus gave for me and the grace He pours over me. He didn’t have
to die. He could have lived on earth and just been a good guy. Instead, Jesus came
and took on my sins and burdens. He called the weary, the poor, the hurting,
the sinners, and the saints to Him. I’m beyond thankful that God created a way
for people to come into a relationship with Him. I’m also thankful my mom
taught me what communing with God meant. I’d be lost without my Jesus.
In this month of Thanksgiving, reflect on Jesus and the
burden He carries for us.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Peaceful and Thankful
where they had the most beautiful chrysanthemums.
When I snapped photos of them,
I knew I wanted to share their beauty on my blog.
What better time, than November-
the month we think about Thanksgiving.
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Anxiety and a Pair of Jeans
Philippians 4:6-7
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.
Shopping for jeans raises my anxiety.
After a hot summer, I’m ready for the cool air of autumn.
With the change in temperature comes the need for new jeans, part of my
standard retirement uniform. I’ve worn out the ones I bought a few years ago, so
I gathered my courage (because I need that to try on pants) and went to the
store where I bought my last pair. The bins and racks oozed with denim, but
every pair I looked at either had pre-ripped holes (I’m too old for those) or
buttons instead of a zipper, again, too old. No classic jeans existed. As my
anxiety rose and my frustration with it, my daughter, who came to the store separate
from me, saw me and creeped up on me and scared the beejeebers out of me (of
course we laughed about it—later.)
The whole shopping experience made my anxiety go through the
ceiling. I vowed to wear my thread-bare jeans and forget shopping. Then Kohl’s
dinged my inbox with a 40% off coupon. Could I try one more time? Yes, I did,
and I came home with a pair of classic “mom” jeans and a cute Peanuts t-shirt. I’m
thankful that despite my anxiety, I tried one more time.
I laugh now about the ridiculousness of trying to find a
pair of jeans, but the anxiety I’ve dealt with throughout my life isn’t funny. The
truth is, being anxious leaves me exhausted. I’m so thankful Paul addresses it
in these verses. God understands. He reminds us to stop and pray, ponder on
thankfulness, and He’ll pour peace into our hearts and minds. Without doubt, I
know this to be true.
Full disclosure: I have a medical issue that causes anxiety
and with the help of medicine, I am much better. But I also know that without
God, I’d be in a heap of trouble. My go to is prayer, always. I’m so grateful I
can talk to God about everything, including a frustrating shopping trip. Philippians
4:6-7 is one of the verses I cling to—to get me through life.
Pray first, always.
Saturday, August 20, 2022
Second Chances
Ephesians
4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put
off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put
on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.
God gives second chances.
I am
overwhelmed with gratitude every day because I have a God who gives grace and
forgiveness. Growing up in church I learned a lot about the rules. Do this,
don't do that. In the midst of those teachings, I heard of God's love for me, but being a shy, quiet, rule follower, my focus stayed on right and wrong. I
thought if I did everything right, I'd earn my way to heaven. Boy was I wrong.
As a human, I didn't have the capability to live a perfect life.
As I grew
older, I experienced life. Some good, some bad. The more I learned about Jesus,
the more I realized I couldn't go through life focusing on rules. At times Satan
tried to push me away from the whole "religion" thing, but God
brought me to my knees. Not to punish me, but to remind me of his beautiful,
perfect grace.
You see, He
loves me unconditionally. Regardless of poor choices, doubts, or frustration, He
continues to wrap His arms around me and show His mercy. Once I turned my life,
my decisions, my actions, my everything over to Him, I understood. Granted I
need to be obedient, I must seek His will, and I have to stop and listen. I'm
not in this alone, I'm in this life with the One who created me. And guess
what? God wants me to succeed. He has plans for me and a future.
I'm
forgiven. Do I still mess up? Yep. But I hit my knees and ask for grace. I
praise God with thanksgiving for his Son who took my place and for the Holy
Spirit who guides me. I'm thankful for this precious second chance.
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Roll into Christmas
Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all
generations.
We've celebrated Thanksgiving, and Christmas is coming.
Another holiday season has rolled around. Thanksgiving Day
we were blessed to spend time with some of our family, something we didn't get
to do last year. Nieces and nephews have grown by leaps and bounds, as have our
grandchildren. As usual on this holiday, too much food went into my mouth, but
my goodness it was yummy.
As I looked around the room and visited with folks, I thanked
God for the opportunity to spend time together. Something I'd taken for granted
before the pandemic. I also loved meeting my niece's puppies and seeing my mom
cuddle with one. The day satisfied in so many ways.
I know the holidays, along with joy, can bring stress and
busyness.
As I prepare my heart for the Christmas season, I want
nothing more than to focus on the reason we celebrate. Yes, I love the
decorations, the music, the movies, and the food, but more than anything, I
love Jesus and the reason He came.
Jesus fulfilled the prophets' words in the Old Testament by
being born of a virgin, in a manger. That sweet babe grew into the man who gave
His life for our freedom from sin. He's the reason we celebrate.
As you decorate the tree, thank God for the beauty He
created—as
you sing a carol, praise the Lord for his love and mercy—as you shop for gifts, pray
for the recipient— and every day, recognize the grace we have because of
Jesus. Let's roll from the Thanksgiving season into Christmas with a grateful heart.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
The Blessing of Giving
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Interrupt Anxiety
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Entering the Season of Thanks
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Sit Quietly and Be Thankful
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
A Quiet Joy
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 23, 2019
It's Okay to Rest
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16The holidays bring busyness, stress and exhaustion. Make a mindful effort to rest and renew your spirit in Him.