Giving Thanks is Everyday

 

CUSTOM STAMPED KNIT BRACELETS IN MY SHOP!

As I see Jesus’ life, He lead a life for others not for himself. He needed no one but the people needed Him.  He gave in secret and prayed in secret with His Father. 

Yesterday was what the world called “Giving Tuesday” and I thought about this and remembered this Greek word “Eucharisteo”  meaning “I give thanks”. 

I wondered how I could give back to others and meet the needs of my brothers and sisters. 

First I think this what giving is not. 

It’s not about getting the credit or a pat on the back. 

It’s not begrudgingly giving because it wasn’t your idea. 

Giving is closely tied to love and how we love people is how they will see Jesus. 

Jesus meets our needs and as His people we can meet others where they are too. 

Giving is loving people and meeting their needs. We honor God by honoring our family, church, friends and neighbors.  Nurturing a relationship with them, loving them and understanding their needs. 

What is the need? Immediate or just because? 

This may be the worlds day to “give back” but everyday in the Kingdom of God is a day to “give thanks and “give back!”

Bless you friends! 

Am I pursuing God or the world?

         

           Relentless Pursuit Custom Stamped Bracelet

 As I flip my phone screen on this morning all I see is the endless shopping deals shouting at me to look their way. 

I am like most of us scrolling my phone and probably without any plans of buying I have the overwhelming desire for all kinds of things I would love to buy that I had no intention of buying. It’s a problem. I lay my phone aside and reevaluate my thoughts and realize without scrolling my phone I wouldn’t desire those things.  I didn’t need any of those things. 

If this is how I feel after scrolling on my phone then how can I reignite the desire to flip my bible open and look to God more?  

It starts with knowing Jesus. Knowing He is the only one who will satisfy the longing for more. He is the only thing we do need. Our desire to seek anything starts with where we focus our gaze. There is a battle for our mind going on whether we see it or not. Phones only want more and more of our focus but they will never satisfy us. 

Are we looking into a device more than into the Word of God? I have been the shopper of deals and been left with a emptiness afterwards because it still didn’t fill the longing for something more. 

I have checked my phone and then looked up at the clock to see that I sat there scrolling for hours with absolutely nothing accomplished except the feelings of comparison and less than. 

My life changed when my focus was to pursue God more than shopping or the seemingly perfect life to watch on any screen.  I wanted my mind and heart to be filled with Truth instead of the world. His beauty abounds in us and His Truth is the only way the fight the enemy. 

He has relentless love for me and is always pursuing His beloved.  I want more of my desires to be filled with His will not mine.  Through prayer and time spent with God He will reignite our desire for more of Him and fill our hearts with the best of things. We will never have a perfect life or all the materialistic dreams we see on screens but Jesus fulfills all our longings for more if we relentlessly pursue Him! 

Here is what has helped me get into Gods Word more than anything else.  

1. Pray- for Gods help and He will show you what you need to do, stop doing, and then do it. 

2. Prepare- get your Bible and any supplies (pen, scripture plan or study) where you can read it at a set time. Bring it with you to work, in the car or lunch breaks. 

3. Show up- this is where you have to learn a new discipline and show up for God. He is always waiting so let’s honor Him and pursue His goodness. 

Let me know in the comments how you prepare your time with God. 

Have you had a God Moment?

 These wee little hands closed up tight and each finger interlocked as if she were going to pray when really she was desperately wanted her bottle. LOL

My heart completely melted when I saw these hands and of course I had to snap this picture like any Grandmother would right? I can see my own hands clasping together in prayer and God speaking to my spirit. God holding me and telling my spirirt the desires of my heart are from Him. I need to walk by faith and not sight. To not look at how long it will take to happen but to just take one day at a time walking in by the Spirit.  

God moments happen like that when you are least expecting and maybe even when your heart is weary and broken. Many of us are weary, sad and fearing the unknown and can’t hear anything except a noisy world. Noise can stir up anxious thoughts and I don't think God is in the business of stirring our hearts toward fear. He sends abundance and His goodness awaits us. We need to find a way to block the noise and take time to slow down, listen, and see what God is saying instead of the noisy world. 

You might find this happens..

God sends an angel to put a smile on your face, or to remind you that He is there with you and the love is so overwhelming you might become a puddle of tears from it.  Listen closely for God’s whisper, it’s going to be okay. 

Faith is a muscle that we will need to continually stretch in our life and I am so grateful for God's reminders of His goodness through pain and healing.

May we hold fast to the Lord Jesus Christ like these tiny hands pictured for nourishment of our hearts and souls everyday!  Bless you friends! 

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭CSB‬‬ 

What my gray hair is teaching me

 

‬‬ “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90:12‬ ‭CSB

As I looked in the mirror after working out this morning, I saw it. I saw the dreaded gray hair poking out from my natural hair color. I looked at my husband and said, you look good with gray hair growing in but me no way.  I think a lot of us want to hide from those dreaded signs of aging don’t we?  It’s the message the world tells keeps feeding that we can stay young and hide from signs of aging with medicine and we can look younger longer if we use these products. 

I began thinking about why does this gray hair bother me. It’s signs of days gone by and wisdom I have learned from my faith in God through some very tough days I’ve the years.  Even the book of wisdom says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.”  Proverbs 16:31

Is this how God wants me to embrace my life dreading the gray hair and wrinkles? 

I don’t think so. We can all agree death is emanate for us and sadly this year death has been all over the news as well as in our communities daily. You can’t escape it it.  Death is something we probably would rather not think about in the immediate but we must if we believe God is in control of my life.  God created us from the dust and the dust we shall return to dust. (see Genesis 3:19)

If you have had an encounter with death or maybe you are staring it in the face because of a diagnosis. If so you already know we must look to the author and perfector of our faith Jesus Christ to find joy in His presence not in the decay of this world or our aging bodies that will never save us or satisfy us. We instead should look at our bodies as a living and good sacrifice to God. (Romans 12:1) 

Praising Him for another day to breathe in His grace, exhale and resting in Him. 

So with a new perspective I want to embrace those gray hairs and embrace this life God has blessed me with.  Let my praise ever be in the Lord for I know my salvation is in Him. 

“Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39:4‬ ‭CSB‬‬