Category Archives: God

Jan6

Day 6 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Gifts and Talents.

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Day 6 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Gifts and Talents.

Had an interesting conversation with my dad recently. He said God gives gifts and talents, and that those are two very different things. Gifts are spiritual and for the advancement of the church and the strengthening of the body of Christ. Examples include pastors, teachers, and prophets. Talents are physical human abilities that God grants you, such as being good at science, math, writing, or photography.

I’m on a journey of using the talents God has given me with my photography (site coming soon) and this blog (Journey of Thankfulness). What I’m learning is that God will bless the gifts and talents He’s given us when we are willing to use them for His glory. My mother always told me that I have the spiritual gift of discernment, and I can genuinely say that that gift has saved me and others on more than one occasion. Photography allows me to see the beauty in everything God has made, while writing allows me to express what He’s showing me and to share it with others. Here’s a truth: the enemy of our souls does not want us to use our gifts or our talents. He wants us to feel useless, as if we don’t have a purpose or a reason to exist. Here’s another truth: we are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

So, friend, if you’ve put your gifts under the bed or your talents on the shelf, pick them up and dust them off. God’s not done with them or you yet. He has a purpose for giving them to you. So don’t be afraid to use them.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

So what am I thankful for today? God-given gifts and talents.

Jan5

Day 5 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…A God Who Hears.

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Day 5 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…A God Who Hears.

I have had an annoying and debilitating crick in my neck for the past three days. It’s not a life-altering issue for most people, even though it is inconvenient and irritating. A crick can happen from sleeping poorly, overuse, and even bad posture. All very normal, natural, and dare I say mundane reasons. However, for me, a crick in the neck can be a sign of stenosis (a narrowing of the veins) or of the vein expanding, which could lead to rupture. It sounds very dramatic, and I guess in a way it is. What looks pretty average on the outside can mean life-threatening results for me.

As I struggled to move my neck while doing my devotion today, I had this thought: this crick in my neck is a lot like sin (no, not that I have it because of sin). But just like a seemingly mundane pain in the neck, there are sins in life that seem so normal and uneventful. At times, we do them without thinking, because it’s the norm in the world we live in, yet at their core, these “sins” want to steal our joy and peace, narrowing our view of what God is doing in our lives and expanding our hurt, pain, and weariness. Things as simple as a wayward thought, sarcastic words, and doubts can lead to devastating outcomes.

What sets the child of God apart from the world is not a lack of sin, but hope in a God and Father who forgives our sins and hears us when we call out to Him in surrender. So, cry out to God, friend; He will hear you and rescue you from your troubles. He will take your broken heart and crushed spirit and give you His peace. Now that’s some good news!

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of their trouble. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:17-18).

So, what am I thankful for today? A God who hears.

Jan4

Day 4 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Redemption.

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Day 4 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Redemption.

It never fails to amaze me how God speaks directly to my heart and meets me exactly where I need to be met. It shouldn’t surprise me, but it does, every single time. He sees my fears, my questions, and my uncertainties. I think the awe comes when I realize this: the God who spoke the world into existence and made it with such intricate detail and creativity that trees can communicate with each other about dangers and food sources. That very same God cares about my fears and understands my shortcomings.

When I feel like I’m walking far from His will for me, He gently reminds me that He is carrying me, that He has wiped out my offenses, casting them as far as the east is from the west. Life on this earth is never going to be perfect. We will have troubles, trials, and tribulations. We will have fears, and we will fall short. But here is the truth, friends, a hope that you can hold fast to. Our fears, sins, and messes have no power over us. No, really, it’s true. How? Because God loves us and has redeemed us in Jesus.

So, if you feel like you’re failing, falling, or have messed up so bad that God can’t forgive you. Take comfort in God’s words to us through the prophet Isaiah and know that you are redeemed in Him.

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22).

What am I thankful for today? Redemption.

Jan3

Day 3 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…JESUS

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Day 3 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…JESUS

Today, while doing my devotion, I wondered out loud if there was a way to live this life not feeling like a hamster on a wheel, continuously repeating the same mistakes, working hard (in my own strength) to figure out the lessons God wants me to learn, so I can move forward. I constantly feel like Paul, wanting to make the right choices, wanting to do what pleases God, but falling constantly. Do you ever feel the same? Wonder what you’re missing, not seeing clearly? Living that Romans 7 cycle?

“For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:22-24A).

How do we free ourselves from the cycle, the never-ending rolling wheel of sin and shame? Here’s the truth, we can’t. If we could right our wrongs and wipeout our misdeeds and missteps, God would not have needed to send His Son. But fear not, friends, for we are not as those without hope. Our salvation does not depend on us, it is not for us to right our wrongs. This sin that we cannot tame or control is exactly why Christ came. We have hope, the same hope that Paul expresses in Romans 7.

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

What am I thankful for today? Jesus Christ, my Lord!

Jan2

Day 2 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Eyes That See.

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Day 2 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Eyes That See.

This morning, my devotion took me to 2 Kings 6. It is a glimpse into the life of Elisha, the prophet. The chapter, at its core, is about faith, not just the “I believe” kind, but the kind of faith that gives sight to what is unseen. The type of faith that takes God at His word without question and moves in whatever direction he says to move. The kind of faith that has no fear, because it understands that fear is not of God. This is the faith I desire, the kind we all hope to have. In verse 15, Elisha’s servant wakes up and finds that they are surrounded by their enemies. Horses, chariots, and armed men, everywhere, in fear, he runs to Elisha and exclaims, “Alas, my master! What shall we do!” (verse 15b). Elisha’s reply is eye-opening, literally.

“He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (verse 16-17).

God is not hiding His might from us, even when we’re in our valleys, walking through trials, or facing immovable mountains. There are horses and chariots of fire all around us, ready to stand in battle with us and protect us. God’s love for us is immense.

In my life, I don’t always perceive or feel God’s presence when I am walking through the fires and floods of life, and that isn’t because I don’t love God or believe in Him. It’s because, like Peter on the water, my eyes are on my circumstances instead of the Lord who has power over my storms.

Here’s why Elisha’s story is beautiful: he never asked God to remove the problem. Instead, he asked for eyes to be opened, so that God’s power could be seen. It lets me know that, like Elisha’s servant, when we ask God to show us His presence, He will. Here’s the great news, friends, God is always with us, always fighting for us, always walking with us, even when we don’t feel it, and if we ask Him to open our eyes. He will.

Today, I am thankful for eyes that see,

Jan1

Day 1 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For… A God Who Never Fails.

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Day 1 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For… A God Who Never Fails.

Happy New Year, everyone! The past year went by like a whirlwind and, to be very honest, at times felt like a fever dream. I missed so much of what God was doing last year, plagued by fear and uncertainty and not putting my complete trust in Him to do what He said He would do. However, every time without fail, God met my needs, every last one of them. Shocker, I know.

I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions, mostly because I find them to be unrealistic and grandiose. This year, however, I am not making a resolution so much as stating a hope. As I start this new year, my hope is that at the end of it, I can look back and see clearly how much I have changed and grown in my walk with the Lord. That I can look back and see a renewed me. That I can be a living example of Romans 12:2.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

If you want to join me on this journey of thankfulness and renewal, then come along and let’s grow in the grace and might of God together. God never promised rose petals at our feet or a perfect life. What He promises is to be with us in the fires and floods of life (Isaiah 43:2). He also promises that His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). Life happens; and will seek to choke out the promises God has made to us, but He also promises that if we seek Him with our entire heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Today let’s join hands together in a journey toward trusting, hoping, and believing the promises God has made, because He never fails.

“For no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:37).

Today, I am thankful for a God who never fails.

Dec29

Day 363 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…God Taking My Heart of Stone

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Day 363 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…God Taking My Heart of Stone

Yesterday at church, I read a verse that I am sure I have read many times before, but it felt like the first time I had truly seen it. The verse is from Mark 6:52. However, before I write the verse, let me give some backstory: Jesus had just finished feeding over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. He then told his disciples to get in the boat and go ahead of him, while he spent some time in prayer. As the disciples continue their journey, a storm begins, and they struggle to keep control of the boat. Jesus sees this and comes to meet them by walking on the water. But upon seeing this, the disciples are afraid, mistaking Jesus for a ghost. We will pick up in verse 50b as we make our way to verse 52. “Immediately, He spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for THEY HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE LOAVES; THEIR HEARTS WERE HARDENED.”

You see it too, right? “They didn’t understand about the loaves, their hearts were hardened.” I have read the book of Mark more than once, and I have never noticed this verse before. The disciples lived with Jesus, ate with Jesus, journeyed with Jesus, and witnessed every single miracle FIRSTHAND and STILL DID NOT UNDERSTAND. It made me think about my life, about all the ways I see God move in my life and in my world daily, and how, despite all He’s done, I still struggle to trust Him with 100% of my heart. It can feel discouraging, can’t it? Like a hamster on a wheel, only the hamster knows where the food is, has all the tools needed to get off the wheel, yet speeds up its pace of going nowhere. We complain about the disciples and declare that we’d have done it differently, yet here we are doing the exact same thing in real time.

Here’s the hope, friends, Jesus didn’t leave the disciples; He continued with them because He knew that one day He would lead them to understanding, one day their eyes would see fully, and when that day came, they would change the world in His name. Here’s a promise to hold on to when you feel like your heart is hardened: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Today, I am thankful that God will take away my heart of stone.

Dec23

Day 357 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Grace That Covers Disobedience

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Day 357 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Grace That Covers Disobedience

Recently, I was asked a question that I want to pose to you. If you were to give God a Christmas gift, what would it be? I had many answers: my heart, my soul, my love, and my praise. All good answers, all things that God deserves, because, well, He is God. However, as I have been going through my devotions in the Old Testament (currently in 2 Kings). I realized that what God wants above all things is our obedience. In 2 Samuel 15, God commanded Saul to completely wipe out the Amalekites, and by wipe out He meant everything, complete annihilation. But Saul did not obey, and in verse 22, Samuel, God’s prophet, says this to Saul, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

As I think about what I would give God for Christmas, my answer is obedience. Not robotic, or fearful obedience, but obedience that comes from a heart that desires to give God my very best at all times. Does that mean I’ll never disobey? No. Will God forgive me when I fall and fail? Absolutely, that’s why Jesus came. Here’s a reminder, friend: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace“ (Romans 6:14). God desires obedience, but understands our weakness and gives us grace through Jesus, who fulfills the law so that we can live in grace.

Today, I am thankful for the grace that covers my disobedience.

Dec21

Day 355 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…My Weakness

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Day 355 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…My Weakness

Do you sometimes feel weak, have feelings of inadequacy? Times when you’re fearful that if you move, you will fall flat on your face? Our weakness can be crippling, keeping us from moving forward, worried that if we do, we will fail for everyone to see. Here’s a truth that we often find hard to believe: don’t fear your weakness. Embrace it. Yup, I did say embrace weakness. Why? Because in our weakness God is strong. When we look at weakness through the lens of our humanity, we see it as less than or not good enough. However, when we look at weakness through the lens of God’s love and grace towards us, we, too, like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, can hear God say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” To us, weakness, for the lack of a better word, is, well, weak. But God sees it as an opportunity for His power to be made perfect.

If the road you are walking seems to have more pits and potholes than paved paths. Don’t let fear of being too weak to make it keep you from taking that first step. God is there walking with us, and if we trust and believe, we will see His power being perfected in us.

“Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Take heart, friends, God wants to show us beautiful, glorious, perfected power, so don’t fear your weakness. Embrace it.

Today I am thankful for my weakness.

Dec20

Day 354 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Tiredness

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Day 354 of Random (hopefully inspired) Thought. Today I Am Thankful For…Tiredness

Have you ever been tired–sick and tired of everything? Where you just want to give up and not even try. Life can be tiring, making us expend all our energy with little to no return, as we run into roadblocks and complications at every turn. You wonder if God hears, sees, or even cares. Then you feel guilty for doubting God’s love. It’s a cruel and, yes, tiring cycle. But here’s some good news: none of this is surprising to God. He is not shocked or dismayed by our breakdown. He sees, hears, and (believe it or not) understands. No, I mean it. Check this out in 2 Kings 19, we find Elijah running for his life, after the Lord displayed His tremendous power against the prophets of Baal. In verse four, Elijah is so overwhelmed by it all that he cries out to God and asks Him to end it all, “I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors.” For some of us, this moment in Elijah’s life may feel very relatable. But what God does in response to Elijah’s cries is hope that we can stand on.

“All at once, an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” 1 Kings 19:5-8.

God sent an angel to give Elijah exactly what he needed: strength for the journey. Here’s a truth you can bank on: God sees our tiredness and has exactly what we need and WILL SUPPLY IT. So cry out to God, friends, He hears, sees, and will answer.

Today I am thankful for (a God who understands) tiredness.