Jul 28, 2013

1000 Gifts

For weeks, I kept seeing posts on FB #1000gifts. I got nosy and checked out the book for myself from the library. The author's writing is compared with CS Lewis. (meaning, read it with a dictionary) She uses alot of figurative language. Underneath it all, is a beautifully simplistic message. Thanksgiving is an act of worship. Thanksgiving is the vehicle that will bring us to truly experience and FEEL the fulness of the joy of our salvation. She is very spiritual, and very poetic. So she's thankful for things like the creaking of her knees of chirping of the birds. I, on the other hand, have been writing down things like new kitchen backsplash or extra money. God worked it out that my friend Keri was starting a Bible study on this very book. I got to see the author in person teaching out this concept of gratitude and how it equaled joy. What she says, after studying scripture, is so incredibly profound and yet delightfully simple. Being the teacher I am, I took copious notes. I thought I would share some of the things she said that impacted me the most.

Eucharisteo (greek word for thanksgiving)

Eucharisteo always preceeds the miracle.

Thanksgiving creates abundance.

JOY IS ALWAYS WORTH THE WAIT.

Habits can imprison you, or free you.

All new life comes from dark places. Emptiness births the fullness of grace. God wastes nothing.

Lam. 3:33 All is being transfigured to bring glory to God.

Fear keeps life small. Trust is HARD work.

Trust is the antithesis of stress. Stress is disbelief. Trust is active belief.

The Israelites theology was built on reflecting and remembering the goodness of God.

Gratitude is memory of God's heart.

When I surrender to stress, I advertise the unreliability of God. (ouch)

In Christ, blessings never end.

I am learning, to live a life of thanksgiving. To be thankful in the small moments, and in the big. And in my life, holding on to the blessing of a few moments past, gets me through the tough moments that are hard to swallow. And these blessings, like creaked knees, or slobbery kisses, are gifts. Gifts that no-one can take. Blessings from a good God who gives and takes as He sees fit. When I remember His goodness, I am thankful and when I am thankful I can trust and when I trust there is peace and joy, real joy.

Mar 6, 2013

I didn't answer the phone today

Four people called me today. Normally, I would be thrilled to call all of them back and chat away. But the first question any person asks would have left me speechless. "How are you?" Well, today a check bounced, the gas tank is on E and my child has decided to try to do every-single-thing he is not supposed to do. On top of that, I made a small goof up and will face an awkward apology tomorrow. Because I cannot stand to be fake and simply say "Great, you" I just didn't answer the phone. It was as if saying all my troubles out loud would be reliving/admitting/fessing up to all of it. Minus the free will of my almost -two-year-old, the rest of my day, can be blamed on poor choices I made earlier. That is probably the worst part of it all. The only person I can blame stares blankly at me when I look in the mirror. No one to be mad at but myself. No one to give the silent treatment to, no one to be upset at. I suppose I could shake my fist at Wednesday, blame it on the calendar, but I won't. I will put on my big girl britches, dust myself off, and make better choices tomorrow. And on Thursday, the day I am not currently mad at, I will call all of you back. :)