Valley of Thankfulness

Thanksgiving held an extra special blessing for me. My teen granddaughter reminded me, “Don’t forget . . . before we eat Thanksgiving dinner, we have to share what we’re thankful for”. She paused before continuing, “This year hasn’t been great”.

Funny . . . those sentiments had surfaced in my head, too. “This year hasn’t been great”.

I must admit I’ve lived in the valley a lot this year. There have been a lot of people I love that reside there with me. We build fires to sit around and share our disappointments because it’s too cold and clammy to build much else. We throw out Jesus terminology, but there’s no passion. Compound the growing apathy over all the horrendous, senseless killings in our country and the pit grows darker. We often fail to see the avalanche of Grace and Mercy and Love even when it tumbles down the mountain in rainbow colors.

“This year hasn’t been great”.

But it has. It’s been phenomenal! And it’s been filled with loss, disappointments, and health issues! But it took me hearing my granddaughter’s voice filled with trepidation for me to look back and remember all the significant blessings that poured over every trial.

So my granddaughter and I talked. About the valley. And about the real stuff, the important stuff. It was amazing. Looking back over the last eleven months, we began rejoicing and laughing. We began untying knots and tying bows of gratitude and thanksgiving.

The church service before Thanksgiving iced our memory with joy. The pastor said, “There’s a thanks that goes beyond politeness to profound”. The pastor paraphrased James 1 by stating, “Every gift from above is the source of thanks.” Then he asked those who wanted to express gratitude to stand and share what God had done in their lives.

One by one people stood and told the congregation about the power of the Almighty in the midst of their darkest moments. Every gift expressed was profound, going beyond the polite “thanks” to explosions of honor and glory power. I’ve never experienced God’s presence like I did that day. There was glory in the chapel!

As we left the service, my granddaughter took my hand and said, “This year hasn’t been all that bad.”

I pulled her in close and said, “It’s been the best year ever!”

On Thanksgiving we sat down at the table and began our round of thanks. No one fidgeted. No one shrugged their shoulders. Everyone gave a multitude of thanks.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Thank you, Lord for loving me even when I’m in the valley. Thank You for continuing to send profound blessings.

Next time I’m in the valley, I’m going to start singing and praising God’s name. If I stand just right and tilt my head to the side, maybe, just maybe, it will echo out to my companions and everyone will start to praise God, one by one.

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving

And extol Him with music and song.” Psalm 95:1-2

Now can I get an AMEN?

God bless you!

Thanksgiving Gratitude

I can’t help but marvel at the briskness in the air. It’s fall again. I’m baking pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies, acorn squash, butternut squash, collards, cabbage, and molasses bread. Spices perfume the air. Roasted pumpkin seeds garnish the butternut squash soup. It’s my favorite time of year.

Did I mention fall festivals? Beautiful, created pieces of artwork that tantalize the mind. Mums in orange, purple, rust, and yellow. Apple Cider. Fire pits up and running. Football games and tailgating. Fundraising dinners with pulled pork, slaw, steamed potatoes, and simmered apples. Church bazaars: soup for lunch and a feast of homemade goodies and crafts. Everyone has the opportunity to be blessed and be a blessing.

The biggest blessing I get every fall is to watch my grandmother’s Christmas cactus bloom. 

They always bloom right before Thanksgiving and again in late January – a double blessing. Just like all the other beauty this time of year, I get this extra special blessing to remember my grandmother who died in October 2007. It feels like her plants bloom every year to honor her and remind me how much I loved her.

Blessings flow this time of year. I wonder if it’s because we can look back over the year and sense God’s presence working in our lives and others. Maybe it’s more than the reflection of what’s occurred and more about what’s coming – Christmas, celebrating God’s greatest gift to the world, Jesus Christ.

As I write this, my mind is swirling in gratitude. I am so thankful for so many things. Faith. Prayers. Family. Friends. America. Freedom. Church. Health. And more than anything, seeing Christ healing, working miracles, and answering prayers; I’m so thankful. But I’m also thankful when God has us wait on answers.

Waiting gives me the opportunity to sit back and breathe, knowing God is working within His will and timing on my issues. And during the wait, I’m baking. Maybe today I will try a new dessert. That always makes me happy.

Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless you abundantly like He always does!

Swinging To Heaven

I love to swing. As a child, I was passionate about swinging. When you’re swinging, you’re concentrating on the pushing and pulling action to accelerate your momentum, pushing forward and pulling back with equal intensity. As you get into a rhythm, you hold the chain tighter, lean back, close your eyes, and feel the wind ride across your body. Pushing forward, stretching your legs as far as possible, you lean up to lighten the load, scanning the horizon or stretching out further to touch a tree limb that’s just within toe distance.

A few years before my mother died, we were visiting my daughter, Tia, and her girls in Maryland. It was a beautiful day, and the girls were clamoring to go to the park. Mother stood up with the girls, ready to go. When we got to the park, mom went straight to the swing. I watched as she sat down, pushed off and began her ascent. The higher she went, the more she smiled. I’ll never forget her saying, “My Daddy taught me to swing. He said you can touch heaven if you try real hard.”

I’ve thought about this picture many times when trials come or life gets burdensome.

Swing to heaven.

So I tried it. I went outside, sat in the swing, and began pushing and pulling, soaring as high as possible. It wasn’t long before I forgot the long day, the urgent prayer requests, and calls about health crisis. My goal was to tip my toe into heaven. To knock off some fluffy edge on a cloud or peel back the white to expose more blue. I felt joy. I knew I was smiling. So many things were lifted; I felt renewed and restored as the swing eased to a stop.

Since then I’ve taken pictures of my granddaughters swinging. I’ve sat at playgrounds and observed the intense joy children and adults have in the simple act of swinging. There is an abandonment and freedom.

Our lives are so cluttered with distracting elements, intense moments. Maybe swinging needs to be added to our life distractions to lighten our load. What would it hurt to go out and sit in a swing and forget everything but the moment? Swinging and renewing, putting all our trust into God and smiling because life is a beautiful gift.

I know it sounds simple, but sometimes simple is the answer. Life doesn’t have to be so complicated and filled to overflowing. We need to get back to playing. Watch children. Playing. Imagining. Creating. It’s a God thing.

I bet when I get to heaven, Jesus and I are going to be talking more about swinging, painting, and flower picking than death, cancer, anger, unforgiveness, and hurt.

Maybe, just maybe, we need to share some of the joyful activities with those whose lives seem tangled in a briar. Maybe we should invite them to a park to swing or to sit on the porch to rock.

Thankful for the simple pleasures in life that show us joy!

Top Pinned Post on Pinterest

Okay, I’m addicted to Pinterest. It’s out, and I’m guilty.

I love posting spiritual and biblical quotes hoping to inspire someone or tantalize them to stop and consider living a Godly life. It’s my mini ministry that I do for about an hour a day, if I can manage it.

Over the last 6 months, I have been amazed and startled that the #1 pin on my account comes from Exodus 14:13-14. That particular pin has been posted and re-posted daily. Some days I see it come through many times over. I’m astounded that it could have such an impact. So I decided to delve into it and see why people are so drawn to these verses.

I queried several of the pinners who had re-posted it and basically got back the same comment written a little differently, but with the same meaning. All talked about the verses giving them the strength and courage to let go and let God do.

This comment was a little different, but one that resonated with me.

            “Most of my life, I’ve been rushing ahead of God and paying the price. Going forward I’m going to wait on God’s will and timing. I’ve given my life over to the Lord. I’m waiting for the victory in Jesus’ name.”

All this talk over a couple of verses had me looking it up and verifying why it’s so poignant. Let me tell you, these two verses are powerful and just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

Let me recap the scenario so you will know what I mean.

            Moses leads the people of Israel out of Egypt and camps them near the Red Sea per God’s instruction. God then tells Moses that He’s going to harden Pharaoh’s heart, knowing the outcome will be retaliation on the Israelite people, but in the end total annihilation for the Egyptians.

            God says for them to put away their fear, stand in faith and let the Lord fight the battle.

            As Pharaoh draws near to the Israelite encampment, they swell with fear. They realize Death is riding in two directions. Turning in one direction they stared at the Red Sea, and in the other direction Pharaoh’s army thundering closer and closer.

            Then the people begin to cry out to the Lord, blaming Moses for leading them into a death trap. At this point, they cry out that they would rather be servants to the Egyptians than die in the wilderness.

            That’s when Moses delivered, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. . . The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

These are hard words. I have deliberately prayed over these verses. Could I have stood firm and still, watching as Pharaoh’s army advanced?

I pray I would remember the Lord’s past miracles and deliverance over many circumstances in my life. I pray I would hear the power in these words and the promise.

Do not fear. Stand firm. The Lord will fight for you.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got an issue in my life that I have wrestled with. I’ve tried to handle it, but I haven’t been delivered from it.

Maybe the “I” in my previous sentence just answered my dilemma.

Do I truly trust God to do what He says He will do? Jesus said to place our burden on Him.

My heart cries “yes”.

I’m going to stand firm and know my God is a mighty God and can do what I cannot do. I will wait on His will and timing. I realize that on my own, I have accomplished nothing to solve the issue.

I’m giving it over to God.

Do you have something you need to be delivered from? Let the Lord fight for you and be still.

God bless you.

Pray In Secret

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6

When I started my prayer room, I wanted it to reflect my existing prayer life. Colors of God’s glorious creation. Pictures of the family. Snippets of favorite quotes. Art that inspires and motivates me. I want to feel God’s presence when I walk into the room. And I do.

The closet feels different now. It no longer is a place for my clothes and shoes. Now it contains the essence of who I am in Christ. When I go inside, even if it’s to hang up freshly laundered clothes, I stop. It’s impossible not to. And I pray more.

It’s in the early hours of morning when I usually sit in my prayer room that I lift up prayers for all those on my list who need Jesus. It might be for a healing. Fresh words of encouragement. A means to move forward. Comfort from loss. Peace for a troubled mind. Self-control for those out of control. Mercy for those who don’t think they need it. Prayers for a wayward son or daughter. Prayers for those who don’t know what to pray for. Each day I sit with those written down needs, giving them to the only provider, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Every day I do the only thing I know to do. PRAY.

You may not want or need a prayer closet, but find a place out of distractions to pray and close the door to that secret place.

The key is to set up a time and place to pray. Then prayer will become as determined as eating or having that first cup of coffee.

God bless you all!

Don't Stall On The Whys Of Life

Do you remember reciting the basic elements of information-gathering questions used in writing?

Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

My English teacher drilled them into us. “If you want to tell a strong story, make sure you answer these questions.”

Sometimes using these words in real life is helpful. Things happen and you try to backtrack through these words to see if you can figure out a life direction. Or . . . you're trying to determine a layout of how to attack and conquer a plan. These words are beneficial. At times.

What I’ve noticed recently is how people, including myself, get stuck on the word why. In fact, we skip over the other 5 words used to reason and describe and head right to the why. We eliminate the other words that help us process and understand.

Usually we resurrect a why during intense turmoil, misunderstanding, loss, hurt, and disruptive moments.

WHY?

In the delightful story “The Elephant’s Child”, the little elephant begins a journey of finding out the answers to his questions and he meets some very interesting characters. Some even alter the way he looks, but he perseveres to understand by using all the power question words.

But when we get stuck in the why, we go into a tailspin. When we get stuck or don’t know which way to turn, we need a way out.

“CALL GHOST BUSTERS!”

Well, that’s one way, but the outcome will probably cause you more angst.

How’s about calling on God? Try to turn those whys into a what.

“What, Lord?”

“What do you need for me to do in this situation?”

“What are you trying to teach me?”

Pray for God’s intervention. Pray for Him to also take you through the how and where. When we do this, the whys of life don’t seem so crippling. It’s just one more stone to step over to get to where we need to be: in God’s grace, trusting Him with the answers.

God bless you always!

Wall Ball

When my brother was a young boy, he used to go outside, throw a ball at the side of the house, and spend hours catching, throwing and running after it. Sometimes I could tell if he was upset about something because he would throw that ball with all the strength his young body could muster.

Recently I realized I’m kind of doing the same thing. Not with a ball, but with life issues: disappointments, failed goals, insecurity, and uncertainty. I stand tall and make my declaration that I am done with a particular issue. I pray over it and throw that ball of concern to God. But instead of turning around and leaving with certainty that God would take care of it, I’d run as fast as I could to retrieve the very thing that was weighing me down.

I don’t necessarily do this consciously. But it’s pretty evident when I am overwhelmed and overburdened over the same problem that I’m still holding onto it. That’s when I realize I never gave it away at all.

Why? Do I not trust God to handle the issue? Am I that much a control freak? Do I fear God won’t handle it the way I would? Do I struggle with waiting and being patient on God’s timing?

Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”

By retrieving the concern, I’m losing the peace God has promised me. When I walk away from the burden, the peace promised keeps my mind settled on God’s will and His timing. I begin to see the things God places in my hand, those things he wants me to manage, and I know His blessing is attached to each for success. I can feel it.

Getting rid of the stuff I can’t control has allowed God to fill up my life with grander opportunities.

Remember the song “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”?

Oh what peace we often forfeit.

Oh what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

I think I’m going outside and throw some balls of concern to Jesus. And, I’m not picking up one of them. Not this time. This isn’t a game. It’s my declaration that I do trust God to handle the things I cannot seem to manage on my own.

Do you have a ball of concern you need to throw to Jesus? If so, don’t snatch it back just to worry over it anew. Affirm that Jesus can handle your concern. Kiss it goodbye, throw it as hard as you can. Turn around and walk away. Jesus has a large mitt and never fails to catch everything we throw His way.

God bless you always!