Thankful Thursday!

"My heart is steadfast, O God;

I will sing and make music with my soul.

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

For great is your love, higher than the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

and let your glory be over all the earth."

Psalm 108:1-5

Today I am thankful for:

• The Lord taking my pain away!  I will forever be thankful for the healing He has brought me!
• The reviving power of the Lord... He has revived me physically, mentally, and most importantly I believe, spiritually, I am so very thankful for all!
• For divine appointments!  The Lord opened a door today for me to share my story to encourage someone else going through a physical health challenge... what a blessing for my "valley experience" to be used by the Lord to encourage a sweet lady as she faces possibly entering a valley herself...
• For the ability to get out and exercise again!  I ran almost 2 miles today!  I have just recently started running again... the last time I ran was late May of 2010.  So thankful for the opportunity to exercise and take care of my body, after all, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit!
• All I have learned about healthy eating through my health problems... we always thought we were eating fairly healthy, but through the help of my chiropractor, who also stresses healthy eating and healthy environments, I have learned much that is helping our family get healthier.  Once you start eating healthy junk food just loses its appeal!!
• For the beautiful weather we have had here today!  We all needed to see the sun and get a good dose of vitamin D!
• For my boys!  We celebrated their 7th birthday this past weekend (they are twins)... it is so hard to believe they are 7.  I am so very proud of them and look forward to seeing how the Lord is going to use them to impact this world for His Kingdom!
• For the quietness of the mornings when I get up early enough to spend time in the Word before starting my day.  This is something I did very consistently until I got so sick, and I am working on getting that consistency back!
• For another day to enjoy life!

Have you taken time today to stop and give thanks for the many blessings the Lord has sent your way?  If not I encourage you to do so, you will be blessed as you take time to thank our Lord for His blessings.  It often gives me the attitude adjustment I need when I focus on being thankful rather than complaining about things that really do not matter at all.  Feel free to join us over here to see more TT posts or to link up with us with your own post!

What am I teaching them?

The boys and I are currently reading through the book of Genesis as part of our homeschooling; and I have just started a new read through the Bible in a year plan.  My readings have me just slightly behind where we are in our school readings, so I am basically reading all the chapters in Genesis twice.  So last night, as I was doing a bit of catch up (already behind a day or two, but that is ok!), I asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to see.  I really feel that it is no accident or mere coincidence that I am reading the same thing over again, God has a purpose for it, so I asked Him to help me not to miss what He wants to speak to me through His Word.

As I read Genesis chapter 27 (this is the chapter where Jacob deceives his father Issac and receives his blessing rather than Esau), I was struck by the fact that Jacob's mother Rebekah encouraged her son to be deceptive.  She listened in while Issac spoke to Esau about preparing him a savory dish so that he could bless him before he died.  Then she hastily went to Jacob and said,

"Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.' Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you.  "Go now to the flock and bring me two choice kids from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves.  Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.' " (verses 6-10).  

Jacob questioned his mother, wondering how he could pull this off.  However, she told him basically not to worry, she had a plan... and it was a plan of more deception.  Later, she deceives Issac even more, all to try to protect Jacob from the anger of his brother Esau over the deception which caused him to not receive the blessing of his father.  For in verse 46 she says to Issac, "I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?"  As a result, Issac sends Jacob, with his blessing, to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethel, to find a wife.

As I read this and reread it, I began to ponder... What do I teach my children through the things I do or don't do, the things I encourage them to do, and the things I tell them?  Do I teach them to live deceptively or truthfully?  Do I teach them to live selfishly or selflessly?  Do I teach them to treasure Jesus and His Word?  Do I teach them to walk in the grace of God and to extend grace to others? 

I do not want to be like Rebekah.  I do not want to encourage my children to go down the wrong path, I do not want to encourage them to lead selfish, greedy lives.  I desire to lead my children to live a Godly life.  I desire to impart to them a hunger and thirst for God and His Word, I desire to live every day in way that points them to Jesus, and I can only do that through His power and His strength, through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.  How thankful I am for the precious Holy Spirit of God!  How I pray that He would guide me, empower me, and work through me day by day, moment by moment...

My "Word" for 2011

In the past I have often heard of others receiving a "word" from the Lord that they felt they were to focus on in the new year or a new season of their life... I have often prayed for God to give me a "word" to focus on also, to let me know what He would have me to work on in my life and to learn more about from Him.  Well, this year one word keeps coming across my path and into my mind, so I am taking that as my word from the Lord for this year...

My "Word" is...

grace

I know that it is only by His grace that I survived 2010 without going into a deep depression... I know that it was only by His grace that I was able to homeschool my children and take care of my family while in the valley, and I know that it is only by His grace that I did not grow bitter and angry at my Lord for making me go through the hardest time of my life.  I clung to the verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9:  "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 

So I am on a journey with my Lord this year, to learn more about His grace.  I want to consciously recognize and experience His grace, I desire to be more aware of His grace in my life on a daily basis.  I want, through the power of His Spirit, to extend grace graciously to those who are hard to extend grace to.  I want to continue to be living proof that His grace is sufficient... I desire to live in His power and not my own (for my power fizzles out quickly, yet I have a never ending source of His power through His Spirit).

Take a look at this definition of grace from my KeyWord Study Bible:

A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the lovingkindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; ... God's grace affects man's sinfulness and not only forgives the repentant sinner, but brings joy and thankfulness to him.

Isn't that good!  I look forward to sharing my lessons in grace this year with you... what about you?  Is there something the Lord has laid upon your heart that you are focusing on this year?  I would love to hear about it...

Thankful Thursday

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so..."

Psalm 107:1-2

I have many, many things to be thankful for, too many to list here or even on paper... however, I do enjoy taking time on Thursdays to stop and really think about the things I am thankful for and sharing them with whoever might stop by my way.  So here is my list for this week!

• I am thankful for my salvation!  I am thankful that Jesus was willing to pay the price for my sins so that I could know and experience the love of His Father!
• I am thankful to be pain free!!
• I am thankful for memories... just today I was thinking about this silly peppermint container that David loved to wear as a hat when he was probably about 2 or 3.  It was a clear container that fit his head perfectly... he wore it with such a serious expression on his face, he would wear it for hours and just play away.  It was too funny, so glad I have memories and pictures!
• I am thankful for sign language... I often sign "I love you" to the boys when they are in the backseat.  Paul will always sign it back to me with such a sweet smile... I love seeing that in the rearview mirror!
• I am thankful for shelter from the cold, for heat that works, and for a warm bed to sleep in.  It has been miserably cold here, and I am not a cold weather person!
• I am thankful for quiet rides home after trips to the library... the boys are always intently looking at the books they have checked out so I get to enjoy a nice, peaceful ride home!
• I am thankful for the opportunity to attend Bible study with other ladies... we started 1 and 2 Thessalonians today.  I am looking forward to digging into these books and hearing from my Lord as we study.  
• I am thankful for another day of life... another day to enjoy my family, another day to walk with my Lord...

I would love to hear what you are thankful for from this week!  Leave me a comment or join us in your own Thankful Thursday post.  For more TT posts or to join us in sharing what you are thankful for just go here.

Thankful Thursday

"I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to Him, 

as I rejoice in the Lord."

Psalm 104:33-34

It has been quite a while since I have participated in Thankful Thursday... it has always been such a blessing to me in the past to take a few moments and reflect on my week and share things that I am thankful for, big and little.  I hope to post a Thankful Thursday post more regularly this year, as I always have things to be thankful for!

This week I am giving thanks for:

• A new year!  Last year was a tough year for me, so I am definitely looking forward to a new and exciting year!
• The privilege to homeschool my children... what a blessing to spend each day with them, to see them learn new things, and to see the excitement they have for learning;
• My wonderful husband... he is a wonderful man, takes such good care of me and our boys, and truly desires to live a godly life.  He is quick to admit he is wrong and to say he is sorry, and he is quick to forgive me on the rare occasions when  I am wrong...
• My boys finally beginning to feel better!  They have been sick with head colds and the flu for almost 2 weeks, but now they are getting their spunk back... although I did enjoy the 3 hour naps they took each day while recovering!
• The Word of God... I have started a different read through the Bible in a year program and am looking forward to what the Lord is going to speak to me through His Word.  
• And I am so very thankful, as I think I will be for the rest of my life, that God chose to take my pain away and heal my body... I feel like a new person, I am enjoying life, and am loving feeling like being a wife and mom again... thank you Jesus!

I would love to hear what you are thankful for from this week!  Leave me a comment or join us in your own Thankful Thursday post.  For more TT posts or to join us in sharing what you are thankful for just go here.


 

His Word Fulfilled!

In thinking about Christmas this year and the birth of Christ, I was reminded of all the many prophecies that were fulfilled upon His birth.  How truly awesome is the Word of God!  It is true and never fails... it reminded me of His Word that I read this past summer while in the midst of excruciating pain and in the middle of a very deep and dark valley.  His Word gave me hope while I was in that valley, His Word gave me something specific to pray for, and His Word has been fulfilled in my life!  Praise His Name!!  So I wanted to share what He spoke to me through His written Word this summer.  No matter how deep and dark your valley is, make yourself get into His Word.  He will speak to you, He will give you hope, and He does fulfill His Word in His time...

It all started with Psalm 34:19:

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

I definitely had some afflictions... how encouraging and very comforting to read that the LORD delivers the righteous out of all of their afflictions.  This led me to Psalm 71:20:

"Thou, who hast shown me many troubles and distresses, wilt revive me again, and wilt bring me up again from the depths of the earth."  (emphasis mine)

This in turn led me to Psalm 119:25:

"My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Thy Word."

And then to this, Psalm 138:7-8:

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou wilt stretch forth Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Thy right hand will save me.  The Lord will accomplish what concerns me, Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Thy hands."

And it kept going, this was next, Hosea 6:1-3:

"Come, let us return to the LORD, For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.  He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him, So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.  His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."

Do you see the recurring theme the Lord was showing me?  Through His Word He was telling me that He would revive me again!  I looked up revive in the dictionary... I knew in my heart what it meant, but I wanted to see some physical words, to really grasp what my Lord was telling me.  Here is what the dictionary said:

revive - to bring back to life, consciousness, or activity; to make or become fresh or strong again; to bring back into use

Can I just tell you how much this encouraged me!?  You see, I felt physically, spiritually, and emotionally dead... I definitely did not feel fresh or strong, I felt all used up and weaker than I have ever felt, and I did not feel useful at all, not even as a wife or mother... I felt as if I were just existing.  So these words from His Word, and a fresh understanding of what revived truly meant gave me such hope!  I began reminding God daily as I prayed that He had promised me through His Word that He would revive me, I began to feel hope that one day my pain would be gone and God would once again use me as He saw fit, and I began to know that He would use the very pain I was experiencing somehow for His glory.  How I praise Him for His Word!


You know, if I had not already had an established habit of reading His Word, if I had not previously experienced how His Word could sustain me, encourage me, strengthen me and carry me through, I may not have reached for His Word while in this deep, dark pit.  I would like to think that I would have, but if I had never experienced the power of His Word in my life before I may have thought it would have been futile.  So I write all of this to encourage you... if you have never had the habit of daily reading and digging into His Word start NOW, it is so worth it!  If you already have that habit, don't let it go, don't let the business of life cause it to slip away... it is your lifeline!  And if you happen to be in a deep, dark pit, get your Bible, put it in the pit with you, and read... ask God to give you a Word that you can cling to and can pray back to Him.  He will, for He is faithful and true...