Tag Archives: thankfulness

Sep12

DAY 255 (2015)

Posted on September 12, 2015 by lsgrlr

Fill in the blank…

Mmmm, been a while, huh? Sorry about that. Life has gotten busy, but that is not an excuse. But if there is one thing I have learned it is that when it comes to being thankful it is better late than never. So, here goes.

Since we last interacted many things have changed. For one I have relocated both state and job. The change has been good in many ways. My mom is happy, we are closer to my brother. Life on a whole has improved. My job is fun and offers a lot of opportunity for growth.

However, there still are struggles. Such as once again I still bear most of the financial burden, and the worst one, I work on Sundays (no church). Wait, no that’s not the worst the worst is that due to lack of time, and an inability to not interact with people of like minds and hearts. I have for the better part of this entire year found myself in a spiritual funk to say the least.

Not backslidden per say, but not moving forward either. I feel that for a Christian, this is the most horrible state to be. It is the place where God has said, “I will spew you from my mouth.” Let’s be honest no one ever has aspired to be spewed from anything much less God’s mouth. But that is where I found myself in the land of the lukewarm, not hot, not cold, and not just right.

Two days ago I took a hit, a bad one. My first reaction whine and complain and inevitably ask the, “Why’s it always me,” question. But then I realized the hit wasn’t meant to hurt me, it was meant to wake me up.

Yesterday was the first in a long time that I took time in my devotion. Not just skimming the words so I could say I spent time, but reading and taking to heart what was being said. Reading to see what God was teaching. I prayed that morning for a better financial situation and to not have to work on Sundays.

Almost at the end of my work day I receive an email from my supervisor it read, “you qualify for this you should apply.” I finished up what I was doing and on my break read the email. It was a job posting in the company one that would give me my Sundays back and raise my pay exponentially. What floored me is that I hadn’t mentioned this to anyone, not the need for more money nor the desire to not work on Sundays.

God heard. God answered.

What’s my point? God hears. No matter how far you stray, no matter how hard you fall– God hears. ALWAYS.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

The lesson: With God you can always go back home, it’s never too late, and our Father is waiting at the gate with open arms.

So what am I thankful for today, repentance and a God, who hears, always.

Mar22

DAY 81 (2015)

Posted on March 22, 2015 by lsgrlr

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What we cultivate is what we’ll give to those around us.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Mmmm… it’s be awhile with the DAY posts. I feel regretful about that. I have been caught up with many things. Things that many times have kept me from where I know I am suppose to be and from what I know I am suppose to be doing. Which is why today’s post is so fitting and so God-breathed. Today’s praise and worship was beautiful; I could feel God’s spirit literally breaking down that walls I have (over the past few months) been building. We came to a particular song, one that we have sung many times before. But today the song resonated in my heart and soul in a different way. Today the meaning of the lyrics came to life and it was as though I was understanding them for the first time. The lyrics:

It’s Your breath in our lungs so we pour out our praise

pour out our praise

It’s Your breath in our lungs so we pour out our praise

To You ONLY…

The question came while singing. Do we? Do I… Pour out praise to God only? Honest answer… no. My praise is not always for God alone. I give my praise to many things, things that are not really worthy of it. Things like: friends, family, work, and attaining more stuff. However, none of those things came to earth to stand in the gap for me. None of those things gave up their one and only beloved for me. None of those things blew their breath into my lungs. Therefore they don’t deserve my praise. It is reserved for HIM only.

It’s God’s breath in our lungs. So we should pour out our praise to Him ONLY.

“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

So what am I thankful for today? God’s breath.

Jan25

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on January 25, 2015 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Kings 21. “So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house'” (Verses 27-29). God forgives. Always. I want to interject my very human opinion here, Ahab did not deserve forgiveness, but God promised that if we come to Him with a contrite heart, He would forgive. Ahab humbled himself before the Lord, and God’s forgiveness means that the heart of the kings was genuine. However, God did not completely remove His judgment from Ahab’s house, he just removed it from Ahab. We are responsible for our own sins, and our own actions. God will not judge us based on another’s action, He judges us based on our hearts before Him. And even if it hurts His judgments are right.

(side note: there was a lot in this chapter… that I wanted to talk about. So please read Chapter 21. And Let me know in the comments, what you got from the chapter)

Jan23

DAY 23 (2015)

Posted on January 23, 2015 by lsgrlr

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The fences of our past aren’t meant to keep us out. No, sometimes they are saying…fight to get in.
(Picture by Lisa R)

I have been in training in my new job for close to three months now. The training is pretty intense, but really fun at the same time. One of the many things that we get as a result of the training is constructive criticism. Our trainers will monitor us and tell us what we did good, but they will also tell us what we did that was NOT so good. I am not bad with criticism, but that does not stop that stinging feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you hear you didn’t do something as perfectly as you thought you did. I have been pondering the feedback lately, and I had this thought; as much as I may dislike it, as much as it may make me feel uncomfortable, in the end it really is for my benefit. Then I compared the discipline of my trainers to the discipline that God sometimes gives, and I realize if my sinful, very human trainers discipline and give feedback for my good, how much more does God. God who created me, and loves me so much that He sent His son to die. I realize that when the trial and hard times come it is a form of God drawing the line and teaching me to move in a different direction. Don’t despise the discipline of God. Because if our human parents and leaders do it for our good, then God does it for out GREATNESS.

“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, for whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3″11-12).

So what am I thankful for today? A loving God who disciplines me for GREATNESS.

Jan23

DAY 22 (2015)

Posted on January 23, 2015 by lsgrlr

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It is a gift from God.

So just so you know, I did not flake out yesterday on writing a post. In fact I had every intention of doing so, but for some unknown reason I could not stay awake when I got home. So I laid down to nap and didn’t wake up till morning. It was awesome!!! Therefore I am catching up on yesterday, today. Had I written this post yesterday it would have been different, but as I was reflecting on what happened last night. With me crashing like an elderly person, this scripture came to mind, “God gives His beloved sleep”. I needed it I have been so overwhelmed lately that my sleep had been fitful at best, but last night I slept, really slept. I woke up refreshed and ready for the day. It made me realize even our sleep is important to God, and when He knows we need it He gifts it to us.

“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:2).

So what am I thankful for today (technically yesterday)? A God that knows us so well, He knows when we need sleep.

Jan21

DAY 21 (2015)

Posted on January 21, 2015 by lsgrlr

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We can’t do it alone, we all need help on the journey.
(Picture taken at House Of Hope, S. Korea)

So I got the best compliment ever today from a friend. Our friendship has had ups and downs and for a while, we weren’t as close. But a little while ago we repaired the rift in our friendship and took steps toward regaining our closeness. Today we were texting back and forth and she said the coolest thing, I think anyone has ever said to me. She told me that God had used me to help put her back on the right path. Now to some reading this it may not be a big deal, but let me explain why it is. I don’t always feel like I am doing the right thing, or saying the right thing. Especially with this friend, because I felt like I let her down a lot in the friendship. The beauty is that God restored it, and even in the midst of my insecurities and not doing it right, she still was able to find a “good”. After that text I realized God really does redeem our mistakes, He gives us beauty for ashes, and restores what the locust has taken away.

“The LORD says, I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you” (Joel 2:25).

So what I thankful for today? Friendship.

Jan20

DAY 20 (2015)

Posted on January 20, 2015 by lsgrlr

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God has our hearts and our lives in His hand… And His grip never fails.

Yesterday was a long day, I felt overwhelmed and tired. It felt like my world was spinning out of control. I talked to my boyfriend, who gave me this advice, “Go find a quiet place. Relax your mind and pray.” The BEST advice ever! I wasn’t able to completely follow his advice at work, but when I got home, I took some time to be alone, to quiet my mind, and to take my frayed emotions to God. Today I woke up and not much had changed situation wise, there is still a lot going on, and a lot of it is overwhelming. However, today I felt peaceful ALL day. I felt like someone more able than myself was in control. I know that despite the situation or circumstance I am facing, God is in control of my day. Life can feel like it’s slipping from our grasp, but here is some hope… Nothing slips from God’s hands.

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?” (Isaiah 40:12).

So what am I thankful for today? That nothing slips from God’s grasp.

Jan18

DAY 18 (2015)

Posted on January 18, 2015 by lsgrlr

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What we look like when our eyes are off our purpose… dirty snow.

It has snowed for the past two weeks in Buffalo (this is not an exaggeration). Today is the first day where snow did not fall at least one time during the day. Right about now you’re wondering if this post is going to be a weather update. Rest assured it is not. Snow when it initially falls is white, pure, and beautiful. But when it has sat for a while and interacted with the elements of the earth, it becomes a brown dirty mess. What’s my point? Snow unaffected by the world is a beautiful sight, it is doing what it was created to do. As snow is falling it is fulfilling the purpose that God made it for. But when snow is sitting and not falling it is not doing what it was created for and at that moment is when it beaten and dirtied by the world. Are you catching my point, yet? We all have a purpose, a reason for being. When we are living that purpose we are unaffected by the world, we interact but are unaffected because our focus is on our purpose. But when we like snow sit around not doing what we are called to do, then we too become dirty and ineffective. Today God reminded me that I have a purpose and that everyday He guides me to do what He has called me to do. On the days that I follow I feel light and at peace, even if my circumstances don’t change. But on days that I don’t I feel dark and burdened. If we want light in our lives, and not to be cast aside like dirty snow, we need to do what God has called us to do.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

What am I thankful for today? Lessons from the snow.

Jan14

DAY 14 (2014)

Posted on January 14, 2015 by lsgrlr

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Sometimes the harshest trials paint the most beautiful pictures.

So today it was -2 degrees outside. Isn’t that a non number? The weird thing about Western New York, it that it gets prettier and prettier the colder it gets. When the sun shines on frosted glass it literally looks like little sparkling diamonds. As I was thinking about that I realized that cold weather is harsh, yet this state bears it beautifully. Because the harshness of the season brings out the beauty within. The same is true with us, except unlike the city we have a choice of how to react to harshness and trials. We could like Western New York grow more and more beautiful or we could do the opposite. Today God reminded me that hardships are not meant to break us and make us ugly. Quite the contrary, they are meant to build us up and make us beautiful, if we would, like this city, choose to walk through it. Trials hurt, but they also make us beautiful.

“Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being” (Psalm 20:30).

So what am I thankful for today? Non numbered weather… 😉

Jan13

DAY 13 (2014)

Posted on January 13, 2015 by lsgrlr

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God is the DIRECTOR of my path.

So yesterday I found out I had pink eye. I had to laugh, because I associate that infection with children. On Saturday I woke up with my eye swollen, red, and itchy. But let me tell you about how God used it for good. The company I work for, for the first 6 months has a 100% dependability policy. What that means is no absences. I started in the winter, in Buffalo it snows every day (okay this may be a slight exaggeration), I come from Florida. See where I am going with this? On Sunday the swelling had not gone away, and on Monday when I woke up my eyes was pink, watery, and throbbing. I had a bad, bad case of pink eye. But what that earned was a day off with no negative repercussion, which was awesome because on Monday it literally (not an exaggeration) snowed ALL day. God had once again stepped in and taken care of my worry even before I had a chance to worry about it. Today I woke up with a little bit of swelling, but no pink, and no throbbing and today the road were clear. God truly went before me to clear my path. His grace blows me away every single day.

“But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12).

So what am I thankful for today? Clear roads and a God that knows my needs before I even ask.