Browsing Tag

Jesus

Encouragement

In All Things Give Thanks (At Least Try Really Hard!)

We’ve all heard this, to give thanks in all things. It’s hard to do sometimes. Can I get a witness? It’s really difficult to be thankful when you’re facing an unexpected but necessary expense that you’re wondering how on Earth you’ll pay. When your house is a mess, you’re exhausted, and this is only the beginning of your day, thankfulness may be the last thing on your mind. When things get you down, try to flip the script.

 

Instead of fretting about that bill (and I’m preaching to myself here too), pray for God to provide the means to handle it.  Be thankful for a Father who listens and cares about our every need (and desire).

 

Instead of grumbling about the dishes to be done, the pies to be baked, and all the laundry to be put away, (again…this is me today!), be grateful that you have food that dirtied the dishes, guests coming to share the pie, and healthy bodies to clothe and the means with which to clean those clothes and the healthy bodies.

 

If we step outside ourselves for just a moment, we can find even the smallest things to be thankful for.

 

Thank you, Lord, for eyes and sight with which to read this post.

 

Thank you, Father, for the ability to form original thoughts, even when I’m so overwhelmed.

 

Thank you, Jesus, for so much activity in my life and loved ones who count on me even if it means I can scarcely keep my eyes open right now. 

 

                                  Have the most blessed of Thanksgivings!

 

November 26, 2014
Encouragement

Jesus Loves You!

We hear this all the time: Jesus loves you!  It’s even a song. It’s an oft-heard phrase but have you ever really dissected that a bit and thought about how precious that really is? Sometimes we feel so small…we’re just one in a sea of billions of people on Earth. And there have been billions of people here before us and God loved them all. So what’s so special about me??  Let me tell you.

There may be billions of people but there’s none just like you or me or the guy down the street. We’re all uniquely different with our own oddities, quirks, features, characteristics, wants, needs, dreams. We often feel like the speck in “Horton Hears a Who.” Sometimes we feel so small,as if we’re a speck on the speck. But I’m telling you, He cares about everything you care about, simply because you care about it. If it’s important to you, it’s important to Him. If it hurts you, it hurts Him. He carries our burdens…willingly!

If you think of all the grains of sand on a beach, they’re too numerous to count. You couldn’t pick out a specific grain of sand. They all look the same! We’re those grains of sand–there are so many of us.  Except God can reach down and pluck out a “grain” and tell you all about that “grain”, what it looks like, feels like, what it cares about, where it’s been, where it’s going.  He can pick each one of us out of a crowd and knows everything about us at any time…because He loves us. I just wanted you to know.

November 6, 2014