Thanking God and Thanking You

I don't have a word burning with passion that demands to be written today. Instead, I simply want to say thank you. You loved Sam well, and you grieved along with me. In so doing, you loved and blessed me more than you'll ever know.

Yesterday, I saw a friend from church when we were eating lunch at a local restaurant. "I've been keeping up, and I'm still praying for you," Kim assured me. It was all I could do to say thank you. I wanted to weep with gratitude.

Your prayers have mattered more than you know. In truth, they've mattered more than I expected. I'm so grateful. Thank you.

Your physical help has been invaluable. From visiting Sam, singing to him, reading Scripture to him, and introducing him to spray whipped cream (thank you Jerry and Sonya Iverson for that joy) while he was still in my home, to visiting, washing his face, kneeling at his bedside, singing to him, and sitting with him while I was gone, you've done what I could never have done alone. You've loved him and treasured him in tangible ways he understood. 

Sam felt loved, because he was.

I've received so many comments on posts, texts, emails, calls, and offers of help that I'm humbled and stunned. I can't begin to reply to them all, but I've read and treasured every one. Friends have shown up at my home to help with tasks they knew were needed but I could barely begin to accomplish. Again, I'm so grateful.

Ryan has been home since Thursday evening. It's been like the balm of Gilead to have him here. We've laughed, remembered, and begun to look toward a life without Sam. 

Ryan said, in his eulogy at Sam's funeral, "I don't remember a time without Sam because he's been there every day of my life. . . I told the people at work I was going home for my Grandfather's funeral." That's what Sam was for Ryan: A constant in his life. The grandfather my daddy would've been if he'd lived to see and know Ryan. 

Tomorrow, I'll attend the memorial service for my decades-long friend who taught me that an ordinary person like me could be a writer. He cheered me on from a distance, even when his writing career took a long pause. I hadn't seen him in years, but he often emailed me encouragement for a line well-written or a post that touched his heart. 

His tragic death is one more blow that, added to Sam's dying, seemed like too much at once. It's not. Today, both he and Sam are whole and rejoicing at the throne of God. They're with their much-loved wives and families and their long-served Lord.

Tuesday, I'll resume my "normal" life. I'll go back to the office, open my computer, and start emailing missionaries again. I'll work on prayer projects and plan for upcoming speaking engagements. I'll make a start on a mountain of thank you notes that are long overdue. 

More passionate blog posts will come, but none will be more heartfelt than the thanks I offer today. You've been the hands and feet of Christ to me, and you've helped our Lord carry Ryan and me through this very hard time. We're eternally grateful to God and to you.

Though expressions of gratitude vary from one language to the next, the meaning is still the same, and equally heart-felt. May God bless you for the love and generosity of spirit you've shown to us.

Shukraan. Merci. Gracias. Grazie. Thank you.

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3 NET Bible

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In case you missed the last post, here's the link: Caregiver Chronicles: True Success: Living Like Sam

James: The Hard Thanks Giving

I'm not actually writing about having a hard Thanksgiving holiday today, but about giving thanks, even when it's hard. 

As you've probably seen in previous blog posts, I'm working my way through the James study that I finished writing a few days ago. It's a little unreal. Today's lesson was short, and I actually complained, "This is so short. What's up with that?" 

Then, I remembered. Oh, yeah. I wrote this. 

The objective in the brevity was to convey one single point, and leave it with us all day long.

There are blessings in the trials of life, and we should give thanks for them.

I remember, in my biggest trial, saying, "I only want to do this once, so I'm gonna do it the best I can." I meant it, too. 

When your heart is so broken it feels like your guts are being pulled out, you do not want a repeat performance. You want to be done with it. 

You do not want to be broken at the end of it. You want to emerge whole and healed.

That's what I determined to do. Truly, I was terrible at it. If God hadn't dragged me along, healed what I couldn't possible imagine could be healed, and grown that little bit of goodness I wasn't even sure existed, I don't know where I'd be.

But He did. And here I am, all these years later. Content. Healed. Full of peace, and hope, and joy.

When we encounter a trial, we can be certain it's designed and allowed by God to produce a deeper maturity in our lives. Our motivation to endure through the difficulty and suffering of our trial should be our love for Him and what He'll accomplish in us on the other side of it.

God never wastes suffering.

Never.

No matter how difficult our trial, no matter how intense the suffering, He is in there with us and He will always make it worth it.

We may not have the result we want, but we will always gain something worth having.

If you're in a trial today, take courage. God's in there with you. He's working in you to change you, make you more like His Son, Jesus. He'll do such a beautiful work in you that, years later, you will weep with gratitude. If you'll let Him.

You don't have to be good at going through a trial. No one's good at it. All you have to do is surrender to His perfect love and obey, every chance you get. Our sweet God can handle the rest.

I love what Paul said. This life of ours is a kind of marathon we run in order to receive a prize, one that will last forever. (1 Cor. 9:24-27) 

So run. And if you can't run, stumble along. Crawl if you must. But keep going and, before you know it, you'll make it through the trial and be a bit closer to that glorious day when we hear the words I most long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

The short lesson this morning has pointed me back to gratitude, and I'll be giving thanks all day long. I hope you are, too.
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For those who have had a hard time downloading the James study to their phones, I'll divide it into separate blog posts this morning and you can access it that way. Links will be embedded. You won't need the BLB app.
If you'd like to participate in the James study, here's how: More than Enough: Living a Life Worth Living
If you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Dry Bones and New Life 
If you'd like to help support this ministry, here's the link to give: Global Outreach Acct 4841

How to Enter the Presence of God

We were looking for gluten-free blueberry cake donuts. What we found was a church with a surprising name. Thankful Baptist Church. It was an imposing structure of brick and stained glass, and I was as happy with our find as if we'd netted a dozen donuts.

I wanted to meet the pastor of such a happy church and ask him if the name was true. Were they really a thankful church? Unfortunately, I tried every door, but no one was home.

The filled-with-thanks-to-God church. It would be a good place to visit. 

The psalmist tells us we are to "enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise." (Ps 100:4) "Come before His presence with thanksgiving..." (Ps 95:2)

We don't often acknowledge it, but those verses are game-changers for the one who wants to enter the presence of God. 

Nowhere in Scripture does it say enter the presence of God with whining and complaining. Nowhere does it say enter His presence with a grocery list of stuff we want. 

What about the psalmist's words are hard to understand? We are to enter the presence of God with thankful hearts, presenting our grocery list of thanksgiving, not requests. There's a time and place for requests, but it's not when we first enter the presence of God.

I made a conscious choice to enter God's presence with fewer requests and more thanks, and it changed my prayer life. Not long ago, I was asked to pray for some missionary needs. I was nearly to the end of my prayer when I realized I'd forgotten the needs. I'd been too busy thanking God for what He'd already done. 

Even God likes hearing how much He's loved and appreciated.

Occasionally, I'll say, "God, you already know the needs. You heard us talk about them. We're leaving them in your hands so we can take time to tell you how much we love You. How much we appreciate You. How terrific we think You are." I don't know if I get more answered prayers that way, but it definitely brings me closer to the presence of God.

Today, why not join me as the Thankful Church of God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ? Let's spend all our quiet time thanking God for the things He's already given us. What about our requests? He knows our needs. Let's simply ask Him to handle them as He sees fit.

If we want to enter the presence of God, we should do it with the thanksgiving that comes from grateful hearts.

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Breath of God on Our Cheeks

If you'd like to help support this ministry, here's the link to give: Global Outreach Acct 4841 If you'd rather use a check or money order, make it out to Global Outreach. Remember to put "Account 4841" on the "for" line. Mail it to: Global Outreach, PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802
#gratitude #givethanks 

Finding Thanksgiving: Making it Real

 

 I'm thankful for the empty tomb and the freedom and forgiveness that emptiness purchased for me.









I'm thankful for family. For my son, Ryan, my sister, Cookie, and all the other wonderful family members who have loved me at my worst, rejoiced with me at my best, and cheered me along all my life.









I'm thankful for my Grandmother's faith. She loved missions and she lived her life on mission for Christ every day of her life. I'm thankful for the gift of prayer she imparted to me and how her frank, truth-in-love words still speak to me decades after she moved to heaven.










I'm thankful for the Word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword. The truth in those pages continues to transform my life.

I'm thankful that, in 1989, God placed me on the farm, for the twenty-five years I raised cows, for the sheer joy of new calves in the spring, and for all the lessons I learned along the way.

I'm thankful for these spunky, funny, sweet Wonder Dogs that are so much more than companions and storyline material. 

I'm thankful for Sam Wiley and the many lessons he's taught me over the last 27 years. I'm thankful for the peace he's gained recently and the way he continues to persevere, even when life's hard.

 I'm grateful for my faithful friends, who love me through thick and thin, and for the perennials they've shared with me over the years. 

I'm grateful for the reminder that God always keeps His promises for the body of Christ, that's so much more than I can yet understand, and for the sweetness of my church home.  

I'm thankful for the call to missions that has changed my life and that God brought me to Global Outreach for this amazing season.

I'm thankful for this nation that has been blessed beyond measure and for the hope that God might, one day, make us strong in Him again.  

I'm thankful for veterans like my daddy who fought and suffered in so many ways for the freedom we hold far too lightly. I'm grateful for the ones who gave blood, limb, and life for those freedoms. 

I'm grateful for our forefathers, who established this nation on Christian principles and grateful for the promise of 1 Chronicles 7:14.

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the gifts of God. This is not an exhaustive list. It's a jumping-off spot for thanksgiving. Let's choose gratitude today. Tell the people you love and appreciate how grateful you are. Demonstrate thanksgiving in word and deed. Let's live as thankful people, not just today, but all year long.

It's become my tradition to read Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation every year. Here's the link: Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation.

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If you've been blessed by and are grateful for this digital ministry, prayerfully consider supporting  this outreach. Here's the link for online donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 
In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Finding Thanksgiving: The Faith-Shield

#Thanksgiving Day

Finding Thanksgiving: The Faith-Shield Fiery-Arrow Extinguisher

We're continuing this too-short (four days)  thanksgiving blog series that started with gratitude for FORGIVENESS. Yesterday, the blog topic was gratitude for our FUTURE in Christ. 

Today, we're talking about gratitude for FAITH. On Sunday, JJ Jasper was our guest preacher, speaking on the topic of Faith. It was exactly what I needed to hear. (I recommend you follow the link and listen to the sermon when you have time, but finishing reading today's blog first. Smile.)

If you don't believe spiritual warfare is real, try coordinating a new kind of prayer ministry. You'll find out quickly that the enemy is alive, well, and rampaging through the world at a rapid pace. There are days when it takes every bit of faith I have to get through what I believe God has called me to do. I love this work, but it's hard.

Lately, I've been praying, "Lord, increase my faith," and reviewing passages on both faith and spiritual warfare. Naturally, Ephesians 6 comes to mind. I love the part about the shield of faith.

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one." Ephesians 6:16 nasb

Ponder this a minute and let the word picture fill your mind. It's a battle. We're dressed in our "armor" and the enemy is giving us his best shot. He shoots us with "flaming missiles" or "fiery darts". He's not shooting cannon balls. He's not shooting nuclear bombs. His attacks are nothing more than arrows that have been set on fire. 

Admittedly, flaming arrows hurt if they hit us, and they can cause damage. A bad burn is painful, and may take a while to heal.

If all our life-works are nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble, we'll be in trouble when those fiery darts come our way. If we're building a life of substance, with works of gold and silver, however, it will take more than a fiery dart to destroy us.

Ephesians tells us we have a shield of faith that's like a fire extinguisher for flaming devil-arrows. We hold up the shield. The arrows hit faith and fall to the ground. When a flaming arrow hits the ground, it burns out completely. If it hits the faith shield, it's extinguished. Done. It doesn't even get the chance to burn out.

The bigger the faith, the larger the shield. and the easier it is to quickly extinguish the enemy's attack. 

How, then, do we gain bigger faith? We exercise the little faith we have. It's like the mustard seed that's tiny but, when planted, grows a tree that's huge.

My faith-growing experience started by praying specific prayers. As those specific prayers were answered, I dared to pray bigger ones. Gradually, one answered prayer at a time, God taught me that He is faithful. That He hears and answers prayers. That He has no limits, either of time, or space, or ability. He can do anything. And He often will. 

As I dared to pray bigger, I also dared to dream bigger God-dreams. When God began to make those dreams a reality, I dreamed even bigger ones.

I've seen miracles many times. I have a little idea of just how much our God can do, just how much He is willing to do. Yet, when fiery arrows come my way, trailing smoke behind them, I'm still concerned by their approach.

It's faith that allowed me to leave a comfortable income to become a missionary. 

It's faith that allows me to write every day with the confidence that someone, somewhere will read what I've written. 

It's faith that allows me to ask God for miracles every day on behalf of the missionaries and myself. 

It's faith that says, "Your will is best, so that's what I want, Lord." 

It's faith that allows me to wait for His answer instead of trying to orchestrate my own.

The fact we often forget is that all believers begin their life in Christ with a shield of faith. Faith is how we believed on Jesus in the first place. Even that fledgling faith-shield is sufficient to extinguish the enemy's fiery arrows, if we are willing to hold it up. 

What, we may ask, is "holding up our shield"? 

When we know what we've believed and we cling to it, we're holding up our shield. 

When we repeat the Scripture we've memorized and cling to it when we're afraid, anxious, or unsure, we're holding up our shield. 

When we claim the promises of God in regard to our needs, we're holding up our shield.

In the garden, the enemy twisted the words of God and tricked Eve. If we don't want a similar deception, we must know what God has said with certainty. If we're not sure, we need to study. That's another way of holding up the shield. 

Today, I'm grateful for the faith that brought me to Jesus. The tiny faith that said, "save me, Lord, has grown over the years, but it's that same saving-faith that will, one day, carry me home to meet my Jesus face-to-face. 

In the meantime, faith is the shield that works as an extinguisher of all the flaming arrows the enemy throws my way.

Today, join me in praying that God will help us to exercise our faith and increase our shield so that the enemy's arrows fall, harmless, to the ground. 
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If you've been blessed by this digital ministry, prayerfully consider supporting  this outreach. Here's the link for online donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841
In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Finding Thanksgiving: The Future Hope 
p.s. - the picture is of the empty tomb. It's the basis of all my faith.
#thanksgiving2016

Being One of the Richest People in the World

Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. (Luke 12:15-22 NASB)

In the previous post, we looked at the foolish man's response to wealth. "Tear the barns down! Build back bigger and better! More! More!" This rich man counted his money and said to himself, (Leanna Paraphrase) "This is enough money to last me as long as I live, even if I live a long time." 

The foolish rich man might have been pleased with his approach to wealth, but God wasn't. Before we look at what God said to the man, let's look at wealth around the world. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that millions of dollars are required for wealth. There are mega-wealthy people, but wealth requires less than you think. It's all a matter of perspective.

I've spent some time this morning reviewing data about world wealth. The numbers might surprise you. According to Gallup, the median annual household income worldwide is $9,733. (or $1,225 depending on what source you read. Regardless, it's much lower than most of us in this country have.) 

The median annual household income in Liberia is $781 with an annual median per capita income of $118. In Rwanda, the median annual household income is $1101; median annual per capita is $235. (1) Not much is it? 

Think about being limited to that amount of money for an entire year. My income looks outrageously extravagant in comparison, and yours probably does, too.

According to Daily Mail, nearly half of the world's richest people live in the United States. To make it into the "wealthiest people in the world category" requires an after tax income of $34,000.(2)  

Why do these numbers matter? Perspective. When our view of wealth is the uber-rich of the world, who fly in personal jets, wear designer clothes, and feast on champagne and caviar, we lose the understanding of the blessings God has given us. 

We are among the most blessed people in the world. We are among the richest people in the world. We serve a God who owns it all. The only appropriate response is deep, consuming gratitude for His great generosity to us.

Years ago, I was worried about my finances and the future. I found a passage of Scripture that changed both my attitude about money and my life. 

"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." (Psalms 50:14-15 NASB)

When I'm concerned about something (not just finances, but anything), I offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. I consider giving thanks when I'm worried a sacrifice, because all I want to do is whine to God about my need for Him to solve my problem. 

What I've found is that giving thanks begets gratitude. As I move through my life, house, and across my property, giving thanks for the things God has already given me, I am overwhelmed by the breadth of blessing I have received. I find myself giving thanks nonstop because that's how God has blessed me. Nonstop.

Do you want to know what happens after a little sacrificial thanksgiving? I find myself saying, "I love you, Lord," over and over. Because I do. LOVE is the only appropriate response to kind of extravagance God has shown to us.

Just yesterday, I needed a tall person to help me with several tasks I couldn't do for myself. A light bulb on my highest ceiling needed to be replaced. Several panels on the greenhouse roof had blown out in a storm and needed to be secured before the next rain (which turned out to be last night). 

Yesterday morning, I prayed that God would send me a tall person. I have laughed off and on since I received a text from someone who wanted a quick job for cash saying, "Do you need any work done? I have one hour and a tall boy who will work, too." That tall boy was a gift from God and the work I desperately needed done was quickly accomplished. 

The text about the tall boy was one more assurance that God is in control and concerned about even the tiniest details of my life. I am extravagantly blessed. And you are, too.

For today, let's stop grumbling about all that's wrong in our country and all that is evil in our culture. Let's focus on the generosity of our sweet God who has given us far more than we deserve. Let's give thanks as a sacrifice and keep giving thanks until we are so overwhelmed with gratitude that we can't stop. 

To live as those who are redeemed, we need to understand the gift we have been given. For today, let's begin by thanking God for His gift of salvation, for the people in our lives, for the safety of home and hearth, for health. Then, walk through every room of your home. Touch every item. Thank God for it. 

Everything we have, tangible and intangible, is a gift from God. Let's be sure to give Him thanks. It will change our lives. It might just change the world around us, too.

(1) http://www.gallup.com/poll/166211/worldwide-median-household-income-000.aspx 
(2)http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082385/We-1--You-need-34k-income-global-elite--half-worlds-richest-live-U-S.html

The Blessing Jar

One of my friends (Joy Melville) posted a photograph of a jar on Facebook around the New Year. She planned to write good things that happened during 2016 on scraps of paper, store them in the jar, and read all of them in one marathon of good memories at the end of the year.

The Blessing Jar is a variation on journalling that appealed to me because of its ease. As you can tell from the photo, I found a jar of my own. Jar, paper, and pen now rest in a basket in my kitchen. 

As the seventh day of the new year begins, I already have fourteen blessings in my jar. 

There have been more than fourteen blessings this year, of course, but I've recorded the notable ones. Most of the cards in my jar record answered prayers and unexpected blessings of grace that have already arrived. They are records of the faithfulness of our Grace-giving God. 

One day, I had just written a blessing on a card when a serious concern came to mind. "I can't wait to write God's answer to that need on a card and put it in the jar," I told myself. 

A loved one's loss of faith has been a major concern for quite a while. The verse, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion..." (Philippians 1:6 esv) came to mind. God had begun a good work. I knew that was true. If so (and it is), then He will also bring that good work to completion. 

In a way, I can count it done, even if I haven't seen that answer of God yet. 

I pondered that thought for a while and decided to thank God in advance for the answer to my prayer that's still to come. A card to record my statement of faith was quickly written and placed in the jar. It's been a big relief as I've thanked God all week for His promise.

Another concern has weighed heavy on my heart. The first "thanksgiving from faith" card was so inspiring that one more card seemed in order.  This time, I thanked God for the answer to my prayer in advance, based on a promise from Joshua 1:5. "I will never fail you or forsake you..." (nasb) 

God's answer may not look as I expect, but it will come. He will not fail. 

The words to a song, learned in childhood, comes back to me almost every time I drop a card in my Blessing Jar. 

"Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done." (Oatman, 1897)

Whether you use a jar, a journal, or voice your thanks in prayer, let's be faithful to give Thanks to God for all His blessings, great and small. 

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16 esv

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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links: Out with the Old, Freedom and Grace, Walking with God or Hiding with the World,  The Same Jesus, The God Who Never Fails and Halfway to Canaan. 

#gratitude #countyourblessings #blessingjar #givethanksinallthings #answeredprayer

Teach us to pray, part 3: saying thank you

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: ' Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

There is always a wonderful lesson to be found in researching the meaning of the words of Christ. The original Greek is so rich and multilayered that even a brief study enhances our understanding of Jesus' intent. So it is with the word translated as "when". As I read this, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. 

The word translated as "when" is hotan and is used to indicate a little more than just "when". This particular word is used to mean "when you pray, and I am assuming that you will pray." This is the same word Jesus used when he said, "when you fast". Hotan. "When you fast, and I am assuming you will fast." 

Sometimes I forget that Jesus was not just talking to make a lovely sermon. He had a very limited time on earth, an outrageous amount to teach His disciples, and every word had to count. Jesus was not just talking about prayer to check that off His heavenly list of "things to teach disciples". He was talking to them about prayer because He expected them to pray, and to pray in the way He was teaching. It's important to remember that He also expects us, you and me, to pray in this way, too.

The word translated as "pray" is proseuchomai. Interestingly, it is always translated as "pray". There's no deep layer. It simply means pray. So what is prayer? I turned to an online dictionary and found this definition. "A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God, an earnest hope or wish." We will learn over the next few days (okay, over the next few weeks) that prayer is so much more than a series of requests. Prayer is a conversation between us and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This speaking with God is nothing short of a miraculous privilege, and one we do well to appreciate and take seriously.

There is a two-word prayer that I pray on a daily basis, usually throughout the day, and it is a good starting point for learning to pray. "Thank you." I try to thank God for everything from the air that I breathe to the eggs my chickens lay to the times when my horses exit their stalls without leaving me more to clean up (to put it delicately). It has been a recent goal of mine to thank God for everything He has given me, and I have found that it is very nearly impossible. I am blessed beyond measure and the more I thank Him, the more I find reason to thank Him. 

As we go along in these lessons on prayer, I hope to offer some suggestions to make our prayer lives a little more lively. For today, let's spend our prayer time thanking God for all the gifts He has given us. Don't just say, "Thank you for everything." Let's recall every family member, every friend, every person God has placed in our lives and thank Him for them. Thank Him for what they mean to us, the lessons we have learned from them. Go from room to room in our homes, thanking Him for every specific tangible thing He has given us. As we go about our day, let's thank Him for our work, our ability to move freely, to shop where we want, the money we spend, the freedoms we enjoy, the leaders He has given us (whether we like them or not). While we are thanking, let's not forget to thank Him for the adversity He has allowed, for how He has used it, what He will do from it.

 This is not the day to use the thank you's for thinking of more requests. This is the day to say "thank you" for what we have without asking for anything more. If we do it, it will change us in an amazing way. Start now. Thank you, Lord for...

"Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 KJV

The thanksGiving Series: part 6

(Doesn't the Saving Jar look wonderful? After only 5 days of mostly painless spending changes, I have managed to save $134.35! All of that is resting in the Saving Jar until the end of the month, when we see the final total and look for a way to invest it in the Kingdom of God.)

If you are just tuning it, you have landed right in the midst of the thanksGiving series. We are focusing on the "giving" part of thanksgiving this year. I'm reporting daily on my efforts to cut back on spending, while still living well, and corralling those daily savings in one place. It keeps me accountable for following through on my plan, which is essential to its success. At the end of the month, I plan to use that money to invest in the Kingdom of God in some way. 

Yesterday's savings was so big that there was no way to top it. I actually did a savings effort that was very wild, kinda hard, required help from Sam, and saved not as much as yesterday, but still a nice amount. It will take too long to write, though, so I'm saving it for tomorrow. You will not want to miss it. (Hint: there could be a little Wonder involved!)

I was filling up my Misto today and realized it is also part of my savings effort.   

In case you are not familiar with the marvelous Misto, it holds oil, you pump it up, causing pressure in the canister, then you spray the oil out wherever you want it. That is not the physics explanation. It's the mommy in the kitchen explanation. I've had my Misto for several years, so I'm counting use of the Misto as cost free. I bought a gallon of olive oil on sale a while back, got a great price, and the oil I put in the Misto today was less than 50 cents' worth. 

The Misto replaces the commercially available cooking spray. The last time I looked at the ingredients on the can, it included silicon. I can't see any reason to spray silicon on my food, so I have not bought silicon spray since I read the label. I checked the price of the name brand cooking spray and it sells for $3.48. To avoid a subtraction issue, I'm saying I saved $3.00 with my Misto! How great is that? The great thing is that, every time I fill up the Misto instead of buying cooking spray, I'm saving $3 again. I love my Misto. 

That brings the total savings in just six days to $137.35! When I think about saving that much in six days, just by making more frugal choices, I am astounded! Over the course of a year, savings at that rate could easily add up to thousands of dollars. It breaks my heart that I haven't been this frugal all my life. (It might be better said that I haven't been this faithful about stewardship, but I sure wish I had been.)

Anyway, we've all made a start, we are learning as we go, and it is making a difference! So, how are you doing with the frugalness project? Are you living well? Remember, this savings is not about ourselves.  It's about allowing us to invest in the Kingdom of God, so keep up the good work!

Finding the blessing

It has been a difficult few days in our area.  The tornado took a toll on all of us. If we didn't have damage to our homes or lose electricity, we probably know someone who did. There has been tremendous grief and a mountain of worry.  

In the midst of the trouble, the wound patients have found it hard to be as compliant as usual with things like eating enough protein, staying off their foot, and keeping the dressing changed as often as ordered. They've missed appointments in an attempt to avoid bad weather. It's just been a jumble at our office trying to work around the storm warnings and the storm damage. 

That might not seem like a big deal, but I am very particular about compliance so the wounds will get well quickly. (I've heard I'm pretty demanding.) Today, one of the first patients I saw immediately began making apologies for not doing what they were supposed to have done. Much to my surprise, I just smiled and said, "Oh, that's okay. It's been a hard few days. I'm not fussing at anyone this week.  You get a pass. Just do better next week." The patient was speechless for a minute, then started smiling. "Thanks!" I talked about how the wound was doing and spent the rest of our time finding out about how the storm had affected them. 

After I'd let one person off so easily, I couldn't suddenly get tough again, so I've "given passes" all day. We've had enough hard times this week.  Who wants to add a demanding doctor to everything else?  As I talked with the patients about the storm, I was surprised by how it had affected them. Some were without power. A few had lost a loved one. Some had freezers filled with food in danger of spoiling. The interesting thing was that, though most people had some kind of trouble related to the storm, they all had a blessing of some kind for which they were grateful. 

One man was a child during the tornado of 1936. He was grateful that the clean up wasn't mule-driven this time around. After he described the work back then, I was too. He'd also lived through a tornado that killed his good white horse. He was very grateful that not one of his horses was killed this time round. 

Another man was grateful for his good insurance that would reimburse him for the food in the freezer if it spoils. Everyone was grateful that their trouble hadn't been worse. 

At the end of the day, I was telling someone about the "grace in the storm" project.  As I talked, I realized I had been dispensing grace all day, and I really liked it. So, here's some grace for you: 

Do better tomorrow. 

Apologize to The Lord for your failures and just do better tomorrow. 

Grace. 

It feels good, doesn't it? Now, it's your turn. Spread some grace around.  Have fun!

The unexpectedly grateful heart part 13

Remember the meeting I mentioned in my blog yesterday? It was tonight and all meetings should be this wonderful. Miss Jan made the tea (I do not like making sweet iced tea unless it is lemon mint tea) and brought the makings for s'mores. I had chili and chips and fixin's. Of course I worried it wouldn't be enough, and that maybe we needed more courses. How silly. Black bean chili and s'mores! What else could you possible need? Salad and soup courses would've been ridiculous. 

We sat around that magnificent fire circle  that Bill the Magnificent is making down by the lake and listened to the crackle of the fire. It was the perfect fire, big enough to keep us warm, not so big that it was uncomfortable. I'm not sure how he did this, but Bill had the fire perfectly timed to die down just enough at s'more time so that it was easy to heat the marshmallows until they were just melting, then briefly flame them and smack them onto the graham cracker and chocolate.  That is the perfect dessert (especially since I found some gluten free graham crackers) 

What was so great about this meeting was not the food or the fire. It was the friends (old and new) assembled there. We chatted together, laughed, sang, listened to the guitar players, prayed for each other and our families, sang some more.  It was so relaxed and fun that I hated to see it end. 

Maggie the Wonder Dog joined in, of course. She moved from lap to lap. I was super surprised at how she visited with everyone, loved on everyone, expected everyone to love her. To Maggie, every person sitting around the fire ring tonight was family, and that's how she treated them. No one excluded. Everyone loved. What a wonderful way to treat people!  She may be "just a dog" but her kindness this evening exceeded that of many people I know. I'd like to be more like her. 

Tonight, I'm thankful for Bill the Magnificent, the new fire circle, bonfires, campfire songs, old friends, new friends, the Spirit that unites us, and, of course, Maggie the Wonder Dog. 

Unexpectedly Grateful Heart, part 4

It has been a really long day today, but another thanksgiving-filled day! I wonder if everyone has the wonderful kind of days I have. As always, the most marvelously amazing things happened to me, but I'm just going to give you one highlight from today. 

Angie Barmer is a reporter for the New Albany Gazette and covers Blue Springs. Before most people knew Blue Springs existed, Angie was attending board meetings and writing articles. Over the years, we've learned to trust her. She's not after the sensational. She just wants to inform and educate the public with the facts. 

Angie is a gifted, and award-winning, writer, but she has more than writing on her mind these days. Angie is also an extraordinary photographer. She has longed to have her own photography business. Incredible photographs require an artist's eye and a poet's heart, as well as an impeccable sense of timing, all of which she has. 

What she has also had was a bad case of "busy". For the last six years, her desire to be a photographer has been stifled by her busy lifestyle. She would drive past a field of flowers or cotton in the boll, see breathtaking photos in her mind's eye, but never stop to pull out her camera. She was so pressed by the next thing on her schedule that she completely missed "the moment". Some moments, once missed can never be regained. Flowers die. Cotton is picked. Photography opportunities vanish. 

A few weeks ago, Angie began to make some changes. She says, " I decided to give up the hamster wheel I was running on in my brain and begin to appreciate the beauty around me. I decided to live in the moment."  She has not only opened her eyes to the beauty around her, she has also opened her camera case and her car door. She has stopped on the side of the road to capture an eye-catching image. She has hiked through woods and walked in fields, not only enjoying nature along the way, but also recording it on film. The results are astonishing. 

Angie very tentatively brought her framed photographs into the town hall after the board meeting tonight. What a treat! We were stunned by how lovely her work is. I bought the photograph of a butterfly resting on a daisy as soon as I saw it. The colors were amazing and it was the happiest and most peaceful photograph I've ever seen. It turned out that today was the first day of her new business (Angela Barmer Photography - she has a Facebook page ) and I was her first customer!  How cool is that?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "In the whole of world history there is always only one really significant hour - the present."  He and Angie have it right. The only moment we can affect is now. It's where we are. It should also be where we live. 

My challenge for you tonight is to make an effort this week to slow down, live in the moment, and enjoy now. 

Happy thanksgiving.