When you feel like you are losing your footing. Psalm 121

Psalm 121-A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Plodding along on this chronological Bible reading path, the next reading is one of my favorites, and probably one of yours too. There are countless songs and embroidered pillows that display these verses. They are that good. And today, for me, they are that relevant. You see we just got back from the mountains. And I can attest, that they are beautiful. And they are also terrifying. As my dear husband was taking those curves around Grandfather mountain, you better believe I could relate to David when he said “Where does my help come from?” Just kidding Babe, your driving was perfect :) If he could chime in here, he would be quick to remind me that he has never driven into a mountain. And I, in all honesty, cannot say the same. But that is a topic for a different day. Where was I?

Mountains are terrifying. And breathtaking. All in one. We took a lovely (read: death defying)hike to see Linville Falls. The first stop is not high. It is dangerous, sure, but there are no 10 story drops.

 At the second stop, however, you could see the first stop, way down below. Now we were adding some height to our journey and those retainer walls? Were they building retainer walls for ants?? ;) With 5 children 12 and under I couldn't get off of that overlook fast enough. Take some pictures, GET AWAY FROM THE EDGE!! And let's go!!

(Right above her hand is the first view)

Of course we couldn't stop there. We continued up the mountain. Then from the 3^rd view you could see the other two views and now, well- those heights were nothing! Quickest picture ever. Please for the love of all that is good and right don't go near that 1 foot tall retainer wall that is BEGGING you to bend over it and look down. Lord have mercy, that was terrifying! But breathtaking! Did I mention that?

(Right above her hand is the 2nd view)

Thinking on this passage, and remembering our hike, brought to mind that famous quote from C.S Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when they were discussing Aslan, a type of Jesus.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

There is a common misconception floating around that we in the church likely had a hand in perpetuating, and it is this. If you follow God your life will get easier. Blessings will abound, prosperity will flow like the salmon of Capistrano, and life will be yours for the taking. Don't get me wrong. There is truth in that premise. The problem comes in when we define blessings. When we look at the accounts in the Bible of those that followed God, most, like David, cried out for help at some point, if not most points. Their lives were not a walk in the park, and many had terrifying plot lines. Being fed to Lions, having your life and the lives of your people threatened, losing children, losing heads, being barren for 90 years, being swallowed by a great fish! No, following God is not safe. But it is good. He promises that He will never leave us. He will not slumber. He will not sleep. He watches us. He is watching our coming and going both now and forever more.

Lift your eyes to the hills.

What hill? Some say that David was talking about the hill of Zion. The mighty hill. Set your eyes on the things above. Let us throw off everything that hinders, run with perseverance, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He is perfecting our faith. Through every mountain. Through every terrifying cliff. And He knows what it is like. Because for the joy set before him, He endured. He endured the cross, despising the shame. And now. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father where He is interceding for you and for me!

Back to my mountains.....

Being a passenger in a large SUV around those curves- it really was a challenge. I kept telling myself, Paul is a good driver. He has driven these mountains countless times. If I just close my eyes, I won't be scared. And that would actually work. For a moment, until I started worrying, and needing to wrestle back some fake semblance of control. I need to watch, I thought, so I can tell him to slow down, or watch if he is getting to close to the edge. I need to control. Lord help me. Lord help us. Mountains can be terrifying or beautiful. Knowing what I know now---spoiler alert- we survived!! I wish I could go back and just enjoy the scenery more, release my white knuckled grasp of the door handle and stop nagging my poor husband. Because there is so much we cannot control. So much we cannot see. Like ANY of the future. I pray that we would release our grasp, our need to control. And trust. Trust that the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore! And truly it's the forevermore that matters most! What do you need to release your grasp on?

Fire-less S'mores

There is nothing like getting away to the mountains. Cold temperatures, warm feelings, and s'mores. It's all so picture perfect...

Unless it's raining. And your fire is a flop.

Luckily, I am a s'more connoisseur, and don't need a fire to make some toasty s'mores. I have told people this method before, and they didn't know it! I cannot have that. People need s'mores whenever they want. I know this, and therefore have to share this foolproof happiness-guaranteed method. And no, do not even think about using a microwave. Just no.

All you need is an oven, two cookie sheets, and all the goodness of traditional s'mores ingredients.
Directions are as follows: Put the oven on broil. And go.

 Here is the trick. The marshmallows (why do we all pronounce this word marshmellows?)
must go on top. Then they get brown, and keep the chocolate from getting too much heat, and getting too melty. This is science people.

                                                                  Wait literally 30 seconds.

                                                                         Then this!

Now comes the important part! Pick up the marshmallow ......

             Next.... flop the marshmallow (I really do not approve of that spelling.) onto the chocolate.....not the other way around. I am not responsible for the sadness that occurs if you try to flop the chocolate onto the marshmallow. It will be chocolate wasted, and NOBODY wants that!

 Then....happiness.

I don't know why my children look like they are in pain when they are in heaven. Trust me. They were loving it.

Another option is to use a toaster oven. We do that when it's just me and the hubs and a few dozen episodes of "Psych." BUT-you have to watch it, and only put the chocolate in for a fraction of the time. As a master s'more maker, the chocolate makes or breaks the deal. Too melty and you barely taste it, too hard, and well, just forget it. Its like your eating a chocolate bar inside of a graham cracker. And while I will take chocolate in any form, I need my s'mores to be perfect. I just do.   So the toaster oven technique is more trial and error. But it is a trial worth enduring if it's all you've got.

So there you have it. My New Years Resolution is officially to eat more s'mores!! Happy New Year!!

The year I didn't expect.

The year I didn't expect.

I have always loved teaching. From playing "school" as a child, to helping friends in math class, I found it very fulfilling.  As a high school teacher,  I can still remember exactly where I was the first time I heard from a parent that his daughter "got" and truly enjoyed math for the first time in her life. What a high! Yes, the privilege of introducing information that can affect someone for the better, this is a passion of mine.  Of course, passing on information requires first obtaining it and I love that even more! I am in information junkie! I may have a problem. But I digress. Those two factors, and some prompting from an over zealous friend combined with lots of prayer lead me to start this blog. My initial plan was to relay to you the myriad of scientific, historical and theological evidences which confirm the truths of the gospel.

 Apologetics: defending  the faith.

However shortly after starting this blog, God turned me in  another direction, or so it seemed. He showed me my deep need for accountability in Bible study and I committed to working through I Samuel, in front of the internet. This terrified me, which of course confirmed that I needed to do it.

This was about a year ago.  But I have to tell you,  it wasn't long before I looked up to heaven and said "I see what you did there."  You see our sovereign Creator saw the year at a glance. And He knew just what I would need, and it wasn't necessarily statistics, carbon dating facts, or archeological information.  While all of that is good, and by good I mean, really, really good, God, in His sovereign wisdom, knew that this year, what I needed more than information,  I would need inspiration. He knew that the biggest proof I could receive of His existence was for me to be assured of  His presence. He knew that the point of this blog was not so much to share what I had learned, but for me to learn what He had shared. And what I found this year I may never have truly grasped as deeply if it wasn't for you!
Here's what I mean. The very first Devo blog I put out there I got a response from someone I never would have expected. We "knew" each other years ago and now have the typical Facebook "friendship." At the end of that first blog I had asked you, the reader, what you could relate to or learn from the passage. No one commented on the blog. Par for the new blogger course, not unusual. But what was unusual was this private message I received. What she shared with me was so drastically different then what I had seen in that passage,yet so good- and also deeply personal. I felt unbelievably honored that she would share this with me, and profoundly grateful that I could learn this from her. This had been my goal from the start: to inspire each other and learn from one another. Still, I couldn't believe that with this first step of faith God had allowed me such immediate inspiration. Obedience doesn't always produce fruit right away, so when it does, it is almost ......surprising.
Surprising.
Yes, that would be the word to pretty much sum up this year.
Here's why.
I was surprised by the blessings I received, knowing they are undeserved. Yet I was equally surprised by the heart wrenching devastation we experienced as sin and sickness left its nasty mark.
I didn't expect this year.
I didn't expect some of my casual friends to develop into soul sharing sisters that I would cry with. But I also didn't expect distance from those I assumed would be there for comfort. 

I didn't expect to be this busy or feel this fulfilled.
I didn't expect to go from a  mechanics wife to a pastors wife in a weekend, leaving all that was familiar..

But. God.

He knew.

 He knew I would need my head and heart to be stuck in the Word like never before. He knew I would feel confused, hopeless, and just sad at times. Yet He also knew that His word could provide life, encouragement, truth and perspective.  And YOU helped me see that.

When you saw me in the hall at church, and mentioned  a lesson in Samuel I had blogged about I felt listened to. 

When you commented, liked or shared a post I felt community. 

When you texted, prayed, and inquired, I felt loved. 

 I learned to slow down, press  in and get back to the basics of my faith. Regardless of what I saw, regardless of what I felt, regardless of each situation, His word never changed. It doesn't return void, and He watches over it to perform it. In ever shifting sands, with ever changing opinions, philosophies, and prerogatives, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is no greater apologist than his Word. Taste and see. Try Him now.

Because He is El Roi, the God who sees.

He saw that I was going to face angry opposition in a way totally unfamiliar to me so he prepared me in the psalms. He knew we would experience the affects of infidelity with so many we loved so he warned me to keep watch over our house.  He knew that my family would experience loss over and over again, so he reminded me of the need to mourn. He knew I would feel frustration over the state of our country so he reminded me that He is in control. He knew we would be entering a brand new season, so He showed me the importance of being Paul's armor bearer. Most of these lessons came before the events occurred and had I not put the words out on this blog, I may have missed them altogether.

This is our God, and this is the power of His word and the power of community.

Ravi Zacharias was asked in a Q&A how to combat lust. His answer was simple. "As far fetched as it might seem.....I speak from experience.....the surest way to guard your heart, is to feed it with the food that God originally created it for......rather than from illicit means that will never satisfy.. Make it a practice to study the word of God......develop a life a worship.... and make friends of those to whom you can be accountable. Every temptation Jesus faced from Satan, He responded with 'For it is written......."

 Friends, there is a movement to discount the word. Famous "Chrisitan" bloggers elevate opinion over truth, claim culture trumps Gods commands, but do not be swayed. If you have strayed from this foundation, it is so simple to return. I was not perfect in my studies. There were too many days where I surely missed the mark. But in my weakness, He shows himself strong.

Don't misunderstand.
This is not a magic formula. Studying your Bible does not make your day easier, grant you instant patience, or map out daily decisions. You may feel nothing or experience dry seasons. But it will anchor you in the storm, grant you wisdom in this world and open the pathway for peace like nothing else can, especially when you write it down- and share it with friend.

This is also not a guilt trip or a legalistic pursuit to pressure you into Bible study so you can show God and your friends how much you love Him. No. This is a reminder that when you give yourself to the study of God's word he will show you how much He loves you!!

This is also the biggest most heartfelt thank you. Thank you for joining me. With 159 million blogs out there, you read mine, and our hearts have been knit together. And know this. I am praying for your 2015 because God knows. And He is not surprised. Let Him prepare you and lead you with the washing of His Word as He leads you through 2015.  Think about this past 2014. Scan your journal, your church notes, your facebook.... something... Find a moment where you saw God move and share in the comments. You know you want to!  Commenting is fun! Right Elizabeth Alfieri?

Last night we went caroling, but you'll never believe what happened next!!

I have this friend who is always thinking of ways to make me to step out of my comfort zone. She is bold and loves Jesus and quite naturally comes up with ideas to serve God and others. About 4 years ago, or more, she decided our home school co-op needed to go caroling. My first thought was, “People still do that?” and my second thought was, “AWK-ward” But just like everything else she dreams up, I went along with it, and even agreed to go in my families neighborhood, where people know me. 

I was nervous. After all, there is a war on Christmas, right? I mean, if you watch the news, they would have you believe that 90% of people in this world are horribly offended by all things Christian, and especially Christmas. So what, pray tell, would we encounter? Would they slam the door in our faces? Call the cops? Throw eggs? I steadied myself for the worst and held on to the thought of hot chocolate with friends when it was all over. Between our four families we had about 12 kids. So we bundled them up and headed out. 

As we approached the first house, I still couldn't believe we were about to sing on someones door step. And yet with all my preconceived notions, nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. House after house we got such similar reactions. First there was shock. I mean, think about it. When is the last time someone showed up on your door step to sing to you? I can tell you with certainty that I have no recollection of this ever happening to me!

 Next came the smiles. These huge soul moving smiles that came from a place of hope and love. Then there were thank you's. Repeated and heart felt thank yous. Many joined in song with us, and some even responded with tears. I don't know where those tears came from, whether loss or nostalgia, but they were way more beautiful than what I ever imagined our little singing troupe would see.

This year we were at it again. Yet this Christmas, our family is in a different place in life. My husband Paul is now the pastor at Calvary Chapel Midtown, a regional campus, near Fort Lauderdale, a little ways away from where we normally go caroling. Yet despite the distance, instead of going to one of our own families neighborhoods, our sweet friends decided that they would like to make the trek with us to a neighborhood near our new church to invite those neighbors to our very first Christmas service. I knew that we had had great responses in years past, but Fort Lauderdale? Or more specifically, Wilton Manors? That would likely be different. Surely they would balk at our lyrics of silent nights and angels singing? I mean, this is offensive stuff people! There is no way that they would tolerate our songs to a newborn king.

And they didn't. Tolerate it, that is. They embraced it! The first house was a sweet lady and her ninety year old mother. Upon hearing why we were there, they came outside and sat down in their wicker chairs to get comfortable as they soaked it all in, smiling from ear to ear. They joined in singing, eyes brimming with tears. Our first song, she told us, was her late fathers absolute favorite. House after house we were received and welcomed with love. There were more tears. So many thank yous. And one sweet lady was noticeably overcome with total shock that we were doing this, this small thing.”But it's just me here” she explained, sure we needed a bigger audience. Oh and the silly little candy canes we handed out garnered even more gratitude.

I need you to know, however, that this is not me saying “Wow, we changed the world tonight with our humble hearts and awesome vocals. Aren't we great?” No, not one bit. Especially because our hearts are likely not very humble, and our voices certainly not great.....except the kids. Oh man they are adorable and cute!! But I digress...This is not about what we did. This is about what HE did. The reason I am sharing this is in the hope of reminding you that our world actually really needs more of Jesus. But not only do they need Jesus, a staggeringly large number actually really wants more of Him..Even though we are being told that nobody wants Him anymore, and even though a select, albeit noisy, few tell us that His words are offensive and His truths un-welcome, it is often not the reaction we get when we approach with love! This world is hungry for Emmanuel, God with us. I am so thankful for the boldness of friends, who encourage us along, year after year, to share the love of Jesus, invite a stranger to church, and watch the world change from the inside out.

Let's pray together for more sweet divine appointments as Christmas draws near. Let's pray for boldness and wisdom with our words everywhere we go!

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:19

Amen!!

Strength for the Season- Psalm 18

Psalm 18 (click to read)

I will love You, O Lord,

The first time I read this verse I missed one simple word that changes everything.

Will.

I will love you.

That's different.

Just this morning my sweet littlest child told me he loved me. In fact, he loved me super duper much. And my heart melted. Like it does every time.

I am not sure, however, that I would have had the same reaction if he would have said “Mommy, I will love you.”

You will? Like, when?

This whole passage is future. You will do this, and I will do this.

And that is so good. You may not feel it now. But take hope. God is going to deliver you, and you will love him.

my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

We all need supernatural strength. All of us. For different reasons. But none of us can do it on our own. If you think you are doing fine on your own, I guarantee you the people around you might beg to disagree. But this is the good news. He is our rock. Our strength. In whom I will trust. 

My God, my strength, when I blow it again.

My God, my strength, when my will is weak. 

My God, my strength, when the answer isn't clear.

My God, my strength, when my doubts are overwhelming.

My God, my strength, in WHOM I WILL TRUST!

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.

Prayer.

The action is simple, but the result is profound.

I will be saved from my enemies.

We all have enemies. Can you think of any?

No, not your boss. Not your ex. Not your (fill in the blank.) Don't be confused. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. Sometimes we can feel like people are against us. But the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6 that our battle is not against flesh and blood. This is the most exciting news. If we can remember that, we are so home free. The devil's best offense is to set us against each other.  You see, we cannot change people. We try. We manipulate. We punish. We conspire to get people to change their offensive ways but all to no avail. Here is the good news though. Despite what you may have been told, you CAN change people. Namely, but not limited to, yourself. Prayer changes everything. And everyone. Can you change someone by nagging? Not likely. With passive aggressive behavior? Doubtful. On your knees with humbled prayers ? Oh yes! But be forewarned, if you truly spend time on your knees with a humbled heart, the person that will be changed the most is you!

So shall I be saved from my enemies? Yes, because oftentimes, our greatest enemy is our own self.

 

Ok, now read the next part slowly, and drink it in because it is so good. And it is all for YOU!!

For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31 For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.

The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

That portion needs no commentary, but it probably needs to be read again. Slowly.
FOR BY YOU, I can leap over a wall!!

THE WORD OF GOD IS PROVEN!!

HE IS A SHIELD TO ALL WHO TRUST HIM!

IT IS GOD WHO ARMS ME WITH STRENGTH!

Alright that's it. This one is going on the wall. I just love it!! Who is God, except the Lord? Not me, that is for sure! His gentleness has made me great! Let Him enlighten your darkness!

This time, this season, although it brings great joy, for some, it actually brings great pain. My prayers are with you. My heart is holding you up. I bear these burdens with you and bring you before my God. I pray that you would feel His support, that you would feel His right hand holding you up, and that your feet would not slip. This is a great time of year to meditate on a verse that can hold you up and this passage is full of great ones. Choose one, write it down, hang it up and hold on to it.

The Word of God is proven!!  

And tell someone! Allow them to bear your burdens, share in your story, and be Jesus' arms around you.
What verse do are you needing to meditate on? Tell us in the comments :)
My verse,hands down, is "My God My Strength."  Because I blow it a lot. Like even moments after typing "Publish" on this blog. And I need to know that it is His strength, not mine. And He is proven! Amen!!

All I want for Christmas is a grateful child.

We are about to launch into that season where parents and grandparents (that's right, I'm going there) are about to spend copious amounts of money in hopes of making children happy. "Slow down," we plead as they rip through present after present with barely a moment to notice that gift purchased with blood, debt, and tears. Or worse, if they stop to enjoy one present, they are encouraged to "Keep going" and "play with that later, we have a lot of presents to get through!" And then, after the ripped up Christmas/Hanukkah paper has settled, we imagine we will see and experience this elusive emotion evoked from said little ones.

Gratefulness.

Yet more often than not, moments, days, or weeks after this grand display of affection, we find ourselves saying the same thing.

"You should be grateful!"

Similarly, this same fruitless attempt at producing gratefulness is utilized at popular theme parks. Thousands of dollars are shelled out for a week of extreme delight, yet this sacrifice is quite often met with temper tantrums, melt downs, and requests for more! A visit to see Mickey isn't enough. We want a special Mickey ice cream too. A picture with Elsa isn't enough. Next comes the request for the Elsa doll. All is given in pursuit of the sought after grateful child. Yet no matter how much is doled out, what do we find ourselves saying?

"You should be grateful!"

Here's the reality. We have it all wrong.

Things of this world, even something you always wanted, will not satisfy.

You may feel thankful, in that moment, yes. But it doesn't last. I have attended many churches that told us that healing and prosperity would lead people to Christ. If I was healed, people would see that, marvel, and be saved. While this absolutely can happen, it is actually not the norm. Take this example from the Bible in Luke 17. Against all odds, these 10 lepers received the one thing they all craved with every fiber of their being. Healing. All ten! Healed. However, what was the result?

15 Then ONE of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not TEN cleansed? Where are the NINE? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Getting doesn't garner gratefulness.

Like almost never.

True heartfelt gratefulness decidedly comes from want, not plenty.

This concept clearly resonated with me a few years ago while listening to Pastor Doug Sauder in a parenting class. "If you want to make someone grateful for hot water, take them on a missions trip where they will get one cold shower for the whole week. When they get home they will feel more grateful for that hot water than ever before."

Prosperity without perspective can never produce gratefulness.

I do not think that I am unique in my desire to make my children happy. I want them to open their presents and discover that present they were dreaming about. I want them to have that moment of sheer bliss when their dreams are fulfilled but at what cost? Because more than wanting them to be happy, I want them to be grateful. I want them to find joy rather than pursue happiness. Godliness with contentment is great gain. This is what I want for my children. This is what I want for me. I want to be content. I want to be grateful. I need to remember that I am indebted. I am indentured servant. I deserve nothing but have been given everything.

However it is uncommonly easy to forget these goals and trade them in for a momentary feeling. Case and point: I sat there watching my 4 year old son launching hot wheels into the air on a loop-da-loop contraption yelling "AWESOME!" and thought...."I need that. He needs that. Look how happy that would make him. I know I said that we had enough toys, but that should be an exception. Clearly."

 But then I remembered. We have no room. We don't need it. He doesn't need it. This moment is a moment, and he can experience it whenever he is at someone's house that has this toy, and it will be special.

I want him to be grateful. I want him to be content. This goal is more important than that momentary, and I do mean momentary, happiness that will come from opening the "perfect" gift.

This point was reiterated to me on Facebook with a map showing the unique things for which people were thankful. People that had experienced drought were thankful for rain. People that had experienced power outages were thankful for electricity.

Here is the point.

Take a deep breath. Step away from the internet. Put down the credit card. And pray. Ask the Lord to show you how to cultivate gratefulness in your own heart and your children's hearts. If you can't afford those sought after toys of the season put down that mom-guilt right now. God has a plan and a purpose for this season of your life, and it is not for you to acquire debt or ignore other financial responsibilities (like saving for a rainy day) simply to chase the ghost of false joy. You can take confidence in the truth that if your children have less, you are likely closer to the ultimate goal of gratefulness. On the other hand however, if you can afford whatever your heart desires, pray even harder to keep from indulgence which is the enemy of a grateful heart.

This is not another post about Thanksgiving. It's not even necessarily about Christmas. It's bigger than that. Grasping gratefulness and cultivating contentment is a year round adventure. Living in the world we do, this is no humble task. Every commercial, every friend, every Facebook status tells you ....you need this!!! Fight it. Do not accept it. The only thing you need more of is Jesus. And he will supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory.

If you are a Christian, you have prayed for God's will to be fulfilled in your life. If you are a parent you have prayed for God's will to be fulfilled in your child's life. That is why this lesson is so important!

I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us in no uncertain terms what His will is!! Gratefulness!

Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

But how?

Read this powerful point in Job 20:20 in two versions:

For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite;
he does not let anything he desires escape.

“Because he knows no quietness in his heart,
He will not save anything he desires.

If you are not satisfied in Christ, you will grasp at everything!

The apostle Paul was able to be content in everything. Why? Because of his great prosperity? His easy life? No. Because he was satisfied in his appetite, in the quietness of his heart with Christ. That is how we produce gratefulness. When our hearts are filled day by day, moment by moment, with God's word, when our mouths and hearts are filled with praise, there we will find gratefulness. The best gift you can give your children and/or yourself is a thirst for Christ and His Word, at every age and stage. Amen!

Sweet November-From Bratitude to Gratitude! *

November 2000 I met a boy. Cute laugh. Piercing green eyes. Just so handsome. He made me laugh. He made me feel special. He made me hope. And he loved Jesus. Four months after meeting and already falling for him, he dropped a bomb. He had forgotten to mention that days before we met, he made a vow to the Lord that he would not date anyone for a year. Having just gotten out of a long and "unhealthy" relationship, (because this is what wives say about all prior relationships)  he was encouraged by a mentor to get His relationship with the Lord right, and take a year to do that. And he was just telling me now, four months into this friendship. So in March the countdown began- to November. I remember flipping through my CD collection (so archaic) when I found the soundtrack to a movie called Sweet November. On that CD was this song by Enya, and I thought of it today.

"Only Time"

Who can say where the road goes
Where the day flows, only time
And who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose, only time

It was so true. God knew, but only time would tell. It was the perfect song. I couldn't believe it. On a Sweet November CD of all things! Only time would tell. Well, long story short, and 5 kids later, November is still a very sweet month to me. If I close my eyes, I can still remember the day he told me it was me that he wanted. I can remember the feeling in my heart as I held his hand for the first time. I can remember so many sweet moments- moments that I dreamed of, all coming true.

But when I open my eyes, there is a full trash can, a crashing computer, an unfinished bathroom, and a toilet roll hung the wrong way. Their are obstacles, difficulties and failures. My heart forgets that I am living a dream. My heart forgets how I begged God for this man. We are imperfect people needing grace. Over and over again. Seventy times seven times.

I know I am not alone because I have heard your stories, the amazing God stories that need to be written down and published. My mother who saw a spray painted letter from God on the subway wall “Choose Bill.” My friend that pointed to a football players face on an FSU flyer and told her mom she was going to marry him and years later did just that. These beautiful stories that make the creations of Nicholas Sparks look woefully small, can so easily be forgotten amidst the monotony and difficulties of everyday life. And discontentment grows.

The eye never has enough. The ear can never hear enough. There is nothing new under the sun.

No matter how many dreams God fulfills, we always want more.

It is so popular to “vent” to let out your frustrations. But maybe instead of a venting partner you need a gratefulness partner. Never are we told to confess other peoples sins, only our own. Of course we need to share each others burdens, but when the majority of our conversation is a burden, we have a problem.

Be grateful. You cannot be grateful and discontent at the same time. You have to choose.

Colossians 3:15-17
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Do you want peace? Be thankful. Do you want to be thankful? Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs! And whatever you do- do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus!! AMEN!!

November is a month that we all focus on gratitude. I pray that you would do more than make a list, but that you would close your eyes and remember. Remember the prayer that you prayed ,remember the dream in your heart that the Lord fulfilled and walk in gratitude. Remember the love that you felt and don't let the enemy steal that from you. Remember the person you dreamed of and how they are standing in your kitchen, perfectly imperfect. And be grateful. Remember the child you prayed for, acting like a sinful human, and be grateful. Remember the job you fought for and be grateful. Remember the parents that raised you, the siblings that played with you, the friends that loved you, and when they inevitably do something to annoy you, be grateful. In everything, give thanks!

* Title credits go to the one and only Jewel Keefe