"Give thanks to HIM.." Psalm 100:4

#thankful30 has been a theme on facebook for the month of November.  It has been so nice to have gratitude fill up my news feed and offset the other junk that often shows up uninvited.  Instead, gratitude was invited into our hearts and encouraged us to focus on those things that tug at our hearts as we recognize their value and share with others.  While I wish this could be a year round thing, its still refreshing to enjoy a month set aside to remember the many blessings in our lives; most of which I overlook or subconsciously feel entitled to.

This year, I chose to keep a running list in my Notes app so that today, I could look back over November and reap the harvest of gratitude all at once.  How quickly I can forget; even in a month's time.  My brain seems to have a long term memory for grudges and a short term memory for gratitude.   Quite the opposite of God's design.

GRATITUDE  November 2015
1--thankful for house full of kids, blaring TobyMac, glow-in-the-dark toys, and a campfire.
2--thankful for giant leaf piles and friends and a 5 year old that belts out country songs with the perfect amount of twang
3--thankful for cuddles with my diva while she waited for medicine to relieve her headache
4--thankful for Awanas that gives Mama 1.5 hrs of free time (and pours Jesus into my girls)
5--thankful for meltdowns with Chick-Fil-A milkshakes
6--thankful for a Father/son band and football date
7--thankful for a 6 mile run with family on bikes and a Daddy/daughter dinner/movie date
8--thankful the girls were able to enjoy Monkey Joes with their Dad
9--thankful for Jillian's love and talent in dance
10--thankful for a counselor who trusts in the Lord and is willing to carry my hope when it's too heavy
11--thankful for Braeden's love and talent in band
12--grateful for a Mama who sends cards of love and hope that let me know she believes in me
13--grateful for the opportunities to write and blog
14--grateful for a clean house compliments of the whole family
15--thankful for a really good hair day
16--thankful for old friends who share their careers for free and for a much needed tax refund
17--grateful to spend the morning with Jillian in her middle school world
18--grateful for Awanas that gives Mama an hour and a half of quiet (yes, I have this twice!)
19--grateful to celebrate Jillian at a special STAR breakfast for outstanding students
20--thankful for the prospect of a God-given employment opportunity for Mama
21--thankful for the Sugar Plum Dance that allows Willie to make huge deposits into Jillian's love-bank
22--grateful for a incredible sermon by Pastor Dan on Thanksgiving from Psalm 100
23--grateful for the Holy Spirit who puts a guard over my mouth
24--thankful to have the funds, ideas, and time to almost have my Christmas shopping DONE!
25--grateful for unexpected employment opportunities for Willie
26--thankful for a hubby making our stuffing while I get to blog, family that includes too little girls, and extended family that is FuN and faithful.

Last Sunday, Pastor Dan delivered an incredible sermon on Thanksgiving from Psalm 100.  I was challenged to "be thankful to The Person; not to His blessings".  That statement was a game changer for me!  I am guilty of tying my thanksgiving to my blessings; not to The Giver of those blessings.  I am materialistic to the core.  I live expecting God to make my life comfortable and enjoyable.  Only THEN do I return thanksgiving.

As I look back over my gratitude for November, I can see material blessings, but I can also see gratitude for The Source of every good thing.  The people, the moments, the opportunities; they are all gifts given by the Lord.  Nothing on my list landed there by any effort of my own.  Everything that passes into my life first passes through the hand of God.  Therefore, my gratitude MUST be rooted in The Person of God whose heart desired to give those gifts.  To be grateful for the blessings without gratitude for the Giver, takes the glory away from God and places it on my sinful flesh.

This is where Psalm 100 provides an incredible pattern for the "how's" and "why's" of thanksgiving.

How do I return thanks to the God of All?  Psalm 100 verses 1, 2, and 4:  loudly, with action, with music, in public, from the heart, and proclaiming His character.  When my whole being praises God for Who He is, it will be all encompassing.  It will become a natural response to His greatness.  But I have to be intentional in my thanksgiving, because my sin nature prevents this from being my first response.

Why do I return thanks to the God of All?  Psalm 100 verses 3 and 5:  because God is God, because God made me, because I belong to God, because God is good, because God is merciful, and because God's truth endures.  Why wouldn't I give thanks to the God who designed me, who cares intimately for me, who extends grace and mercy, and who so deeply desires to spend eternity with me that He sent Jesus to redeem me?

It's not the blessings that I must honor and give thanks for, it is God the Person Whom my gratitude must be lifted up to.   The blessings He so generously gives stems from His heart, on which I am written.  So from my heart, I give thanks to God for Who He is.  

"God redeemed this messy Jesus-Girl."

Exponential Glory

How often do we share the glory after something has either happened or it has been guaranteed?  What would it look like to share the glory before you even know the how, what, if, and when?  It's risky, but it's real.

It's so easy to invite others to celebrate your victories or accomplishments.  What's harder is to invite others into your uncertainties where all may see the end result, but also, all will be present for the unknowns on your journey.  It makes you vulnerable and transparent.

Willie and I are inviting you to pray along with us during this season of blind obedience.  We know God is up to something big for His Glory, but instead of waiting for you to join us for the celebration (of which, details are unknown), we want to invite you alongside of us for our faith journey through many unknowns.

Please join us in prayer and anticipation of God's all-sufficient provision as Willie seeks new employment.  It's been a strenuous month adjusting to God's unexpected redirection while believing His plan is best and yet to be revealed.  Blind obedience can often get gritty with fear.

Not only is prayer the greatest resource and hope, but it gives us the privilege to invite others alongside this journey for even greater Glory to God when He writes the next chapter.

With much faith and prayer, we seek God's Will for our family.  By each of you joining us, God will gain exponential Glory from each heart turned toward Him, watching and waiting to see what Divine provision He puts into motion.

"If you can't be real, no one will see your Jesus."

Missing the Main Ingredient

All plans of leaving prepared and on time were shot down the night before.  A curve ball thwarted my efforts and so I moved on to Plan B.  Leave early with the supplies needed to prepare on the go.  Not ideal, but doable.

This morning arrived and I was able to get ready and out the door early (did you know that hats are a very fashionable accessory? especially when it's raining!).  Score 1 for Mama!  A quick stop at the grocery store and I was on my way.  Another point for Mama!  I sat in my van in a vacant parking lot preparing fruit for our CBS fellowship breakfast (don't judge, this was Plan B remember).  Did I mention it was pouring down rain?

I had packed a strainer, water bottle, mini cutting board, and paring knife for the task.  Blueberries washed.  Check.  Strawberries washed and capped.  Check.  Granola.  Check.  Mama scores again!  (I may have looked suspicious to vehicles driving by, but hey, I was on a mission to arrive at CBS by 9:15am, bringing yogurt parfaits).  Plan B was moving along nicely!

I-81 traffic was friendly for a raining workday, and so I drove to CBS processing last night's curve ball and soaking in the song the Lord had on the radio just for me.  I shot up an "arrow" prayer of gratitude for His compassionate touch on my soul and parked the van at CBS.  9:08am!  Score!

Grabbing my purse, bag, and parfaits basket, I opened my leopard umbrella and headed in to Bible Study.  I pulled off Plan B and had yogurt parfaits in hand and ready to go on time.  Wait.  Yogurt parfaits.  I didn't buy any yogurt at the grocery store this morning.  In an instant, victory turned into an epic fail.  Game Over:  I was forced to forfeit.

You can't have yogurt parfaits without yogurt;  it's the main ingredient.  What you have is fruit and granola.  So I added my blueberries and strawberries (freshly washed and capped, mind you) to our breakfast table and discretely hid my basket with granola and parfait cups under my chair.  Fruit would have to do today.

Fellowship and Bible study were amazing this morning!  What a blessing studying God's Word with sisters-in-Christ is!  As I toted my belongings back to the van afterwards, I chided myself on forgetting the main ingredient.  How could I have forgotten the yogurt?!  It was then that I thought, how often do I forget the main ingredient of prayer in my day?

I gather my worship songs, my devotions, my ministry blog emails, my Bible, and my lessons, but I rush through my day forgetting prayer.  I toss up "arrow" prayers (those quick, to the point thoughts and concerns) because I'm too busy doing to take time to sit and be still in prayer.  Plan B ends up being praying-on-the-go.

I forget the main ingredient to my day:  prayer.  Real, quiet, surrender-to-His-Will-for-the-day prayer.  Jesus desires so much more for our relationship than what I offer Him.  Not only do I give Him my leftovers, I miss out on the main ingredient.

Love is spelled t-i-m-e.  Time in honest prayer with my Creator, Lord, and Savior.  Jesus simply asks me to come, sit with Him first, and then we'll conquer the day together.  If not, I miss the main ingredient and the rest of my day settles for "this will have to do for today".

Our creative and personable God used yogurt to whisper "I miss you" to me this morning...

Beyond Report Cards

1st Marking Period report cards came home Friday.  Because of technology and ParentVue, there are usually no surprises on our children's report cards.  Yet, Jillian's response to her report card came as a complete surprise to Mama.

For the longest time after school,  Jillian acted as if she didn't want us to see her report card.  When Mama finally had the report card in my hands, I was befuddled as to why her secretive reaction.  Distinguished Honor Roll, proud parent bumper sticker, and a Dominos gift certificate.  Why wouldn't she be over the moon excited and proud of her first middle school report card?

It was time for some sweet girl talk.  We cuddled up on Jillian's bed and began peeling back the layers of her heart.  What did she see on her report card besides a job well done?

"I'm tired of being good."  "The teachers pay me to be good with CougarCash."  "You already knew my report card was going to be good."

Wow.....Mama didn't see this one coming.  By now, you'd think my little diva would no longer catch me off guard.  But probably what's more accurate, is that this child of mine so often speaks her heart; which mirrors my own.

Jillian became vulnerable with Mama, cuddled up on her bed.  And so Mama did the same.  Isn't  it amazing how an eleven year old daughter and a thirty-eight year old Mama can be struggling with the same issues?  I too, get tired of being good.  Tired of being an adult.  So we talked honestly.  I could truly listen and relate while at the same time pouring truth into her searching soul.

This report card was different.  It was a reflection of all Jillian's hard work, diligence, organization, and responsibility as a 6th grader.  Mama has been completely hands off this year as Jillian has used her wings to fly, all on her own.  For that, Jillian could be extremely proud.  She could own it!  Every "A" was the reward for all she had managed and learned as her independence blossomed this year.

And as for "being paid to be good", we just needed a different perspective for my girl.  CougarCash is the way teachers encourage and thank students for the awesome job they see being done.  Good students get harder to find in middle school, and so teachers want to spur on those rocking it as students!  All the while, hoping more students join in.

It IS hard being good, pushing yourself to do your best, and standing out in school among your peers.   To see all that effort compiled onto one piece of paper can leave some personalities disappointed.  The truth is that Jesus asks us to press on in this manner.  Not striving for the praise of man, but for the prize of being His good and faithful servant; representing Him well.

Mama not only needed to speak these words into her daughter, but soak them up for herself too.  Being an adult isn't all it's puffed up to be.  It gets discouraging making the right choices everyone expects all the time.  It gets harder and harder to feel proud about choosing well when it has become part of your character.  Yet, we work as unto the Lord.  His praise is all we should seek.  Its our  human nature that leaves us wanting more.

What a delight it is to share a moment with your daughter and have the Lord meet you right there.  Cuddled up in hot pink sheets and a zebra blanket; seeking truth and perspective.  When we strive to be good, expecting a big pay off, we're left disappointed.  But when we strive to do our best and rock who we are in Jesus, we fulfill His expectations of who He created us to be.  If we can bring glory to God by just being ourselves, that's far better than any report card!