love

Prompt: Thank the Lord for His love.

As I prepared to write this blog entry, I sat and pondered which Bible verse on love I should use. There are so many. His love is the only reason we are here. The verse I think sets such a perfect example, not only of His love for us but also the love we should have for one another, is 1 John 4:10-12.

"In this love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us."

Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect, unconditional, everlasting love. Thank You for teaching us to love one another without fear. I am thankful that because of the love that I feel from my Father in Heaven, I am able to love some who others do not see as deserving of love. I am thankful that I am surrounded by so many who love me back.

(un)expectations

Prompt: Thank Him for the unexpected.

We all have plans, ideal living conditions, ideal jobs, ideal families, ect. And our God does often put these plans and thoughts in our minds and on our hearts and if it is His, He will make it happen for us. There are also many things in our lives that are not quite according to our personal plans.
I had expectations for myself that I thought were simply going to come to be. I had plans for my life that I didn't see changing or going any other way. Man, was I off. I am not going to lie and say that I was content with things while they were going awry, but looking at my life the way it is right now, in this moment, I am very happy with where He has me.
Thank you, God, for the things that have happened and the surprises that are yet to come. I am thankful that the Lord is a much better, much more committed planner than I am and that no matter what happens, He is in control. I am thankful that He has blessed me with all of my wonderful people; all of those who help me to grow and to love deeper. Thank You so much, Father, for exceeding my expectations with things I would have never come up with myself. Thank you for seeing the big picture and knowing what is best all along. Thank you, for the unexpected.

Forgiven

Prompt: Thank Him for forgiveness.

I am thankful for the forgiveness that we have recieved through the Son of God. Without it, we would all be punished to death for our sins. Luke 6:36-37 tells us to learn from our God, "be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged;condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven..." I am thankful that not only are we forgiven by fellow humans, but that the Creator of the Universe is even willing to forgive us when we have wronged Him.

Thank you, God, for your unending, unconditional forgiveness. Thank You for loving us so much that You are willing to take us back time after time, no matter what the circumstances are, and continue to love us as Yours.

"Then Peter came us and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin againsly me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."
-Matthew 18:21-22

The Word

Prompt: Be thankful for His Word.


I am thankful for the Bible. Without it our knowledge as Christians would be tainted by word-of-mouth claims of what it means to be a follower of God. I am so thankful that after a long day, this book is waiting for me, ready to help build my faith and ease my mind. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity to read about what early Christians experienced and what the world was like before Jesus came and saved us. The comprehension that our Father loves us no matter what would not be the way it is today without the Bible.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us a book that teaches us about the most important subject there is. Thank you for always helping us to dig deeper and to always happen to turn to the right page on any given day. I thank you for Bible studies which build not only my relationship with other believers, but also my relationship with you. Without your word, being a Christian would be much more difficult.

Daily Bread (and more)

I participated in a Bible study last year and we took some time to dissect the Lord's Prayer. It was quite interesting looking at each individual part of the prayer and deciphering the true meaning behind the words that we pray so routinely. As all who have ever said the Lord's Prayer know, "give us this day our daily bread" is a part of that prayer. Honestly, I used to thing this simply meant we were asking the Lord to feed us. But if you look back to when Jesus broke the bread and told his followers to take and eat it because it was His body... Jesus gave us His body. Throughout His life and to the very last breath, He was devoted to His Father and determined to save us from the eternal hell that we were preparing for ourselves.

So today, I am thankful for the bread of life. I am thankful for all of the food in my fridge and my pantry. I am thankful for the fellowship that is provided for me in the places I go. I am thankful for His word that helps me through the though times and makes me mindful in the easy ones. Thank you, Lord, for the life you provide and sustain for me. 

Kindness

Prompt: Thank God for His kindness.

According to the Lord Himself, our existence can be attributed to His loving kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 states "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness..." Love and kindness are beyond enough as it is. But God loved us with everlasting love and created us with unfailing kindness. His kindness leads us to Him and saves us from the grave. 

Thank you, Lord. For being kind enough to create me, for being kind enough to love me, for being kind enough to forgive me and for being kind enough to save me.

Provision

Prompt: Thank God for His provision.

The word provision is defined by google as "the action of providing or supplying something for use."
The Lord provides us with the things we need; the things we are going to use. When I think of the Lord's provision, I think of His love. He pours out His love for us, daily, so that we my turn to others and share that love. Of course there are many many other things that the Lord provides for us: family, friends, homes, clothing, food, and the list goes on.

Thank you, Lord, for your provision. Thank you for giving me all things necessary and giving me the knowledge on how to use them. I know that without You, I would be without life. Thank You for providing for those I love as well and for the sharing that occurs between us all.

Someone(s) Special

Prompt: Thank Him for someone special.

The idea of choosing only one of the many special people in my life is very difficult for me. 

So I am not going to do it. 

Instead, I am going to thank Him for three very special people. My brothers.

I know that if it weren't for them I would be a completely different person than I am today. 

Memories hit me in waves lately. Not just little waves like you  might see on a lake. I am talking 1,720 ft. waves (yes, that is the actual size of the largest wave ever recorded; just a coincidence, I'm sure). I am so thankful that my childhood memories of school days, holidays, summers, bed time, everything, are filled with happy moments I shared with my brothers.

Throwing apples from our trees as we waited for the bus during the first weeks of school.
Camping trips that ended early due to the tsunami that hit (or just a big rain storm).
Christmas mornings, waking each other up just so we could go sit on the steps and wait for mom to find the camera and take the traditional picture of the four sleepy children eager for presents (and caramel rolls).
Waiting till we knew our parents were almost to the bottom of the steps and yelling for them to come back up before we went to sleep. 

Rolling down the hill in the back yard.

Jumping on the trampoline (for hours on end).
Sports. Sports. Sports.

Being hushed in church for whispers and giggles.
Sitting on the big balloon blanket eating pizza while watching "TGIF" on TV in the living room.

Secretly competing to see who could find the most Easter eggs before we ever went outside to find them.

The list goes on. And I know that the list will continue to go on. In our early adult lives there have already been so many new memories being made.

I know that I am blessed to have the three wonderful brothers I have. Each of them brings something different to the table, yet they're all very much alike in certain ways. And I love them.

Thank you God, for Cole, Chase, and Lynk. My life wouldn't be as incredible as it is without each of them.

 

Who is someone you are thankful for?

On trial

Prompt: Are you facing a trial of some sort? How are you thankful?

To be completely honest, every single day presents me with at least one new trial, usually multiple. Some of them are trivial while others seem to consume me. Lately, I have been struggling with missing people. It seems that no matter where I am, somebody important to me is not there. Don't get me wrong, I am not a "Debbie Downer" all the time who thinks that everybody must be somewhere in order for it to be a fun event- I do understand that everyone has their own life to live out. It's more like this: my ideal forever-home would be near all of my family and my closest friends. The problem with this is simply that they aren't even all in the same place, nor will they ever all be in the same place. I am mature enough to realize that this isn't a realistic dream, I am just saying it would be ideal. 

In the last few years of my faith walk, I have learned that rather than shutting down because I am feeling bad about something it is much more effective to bring the concern to my Father in Heaven. When I find myself missing someone, I pray for them. I know that not only does this make me feel better in a worldly sense because I am asking the most powerful being to help in preserving their well being, but it also, without a doubt, grows my relationship and dependence on the Lord. 

We are not capable of doing it all on our own. We were created as beings entirely dependent on God and He has no intentions of us ever achieving everything we are supposed to achieve without him. In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 9, it is said that "In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead." We give up everything and accept suffering so that we may become entirely reliant on Him and He may carry out His will in our lives. Trials build relationship. John 15:5 is where the Lord said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Without Him (the vine), we (the branches) are worthless.

In Romans chapter 5 verses 3-5, we are reminded of all that comes with suffering, "but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." I love that we have hope. Not just hope though. We have a hope that is more like guarantee. We have been promised that we are not alone, nor will we ever be. If there were never any bad times we may not look in anticipation for the good times. The good times that are on their way are greater than anything we have ever known or could ever begin to fathom.  2 Corinthians 4:17 states, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." To me, that sounds like a hope that couldn't possibly disappoint even the biggest dreamers. 

Heavenly Father, I am thankful for the trials that are presented to me daily. I am grateful that they help me to build my understanding of how great You really are. I know that being humbled through the tough times brings me closer to you than I think I can be. And I know that although bad days come and go, You are the only way to an everlasting joy that transcends all things. Thank You for being the vine to all of us; please continue to provide us with the necessary so that we may continue to share You and all You are with people of all nations.

Smiling- inside and out!

Prompt: What made you smile today? Thank Him for it.

Thank you, Lord for all of the people you put in my life who bring smiles to my face. Throughout the day at school, the kids I have the privilege to work with give me plenty of reasons to feel joy. I had a little tummy-ache this afternoon. When one of our Downs syndrome students asked me what was wrong, I told him I just wasn't feeling well. He told me, "you can lay down and I promise we will be good. You need to feel better." The sweet innocence of these kids puts a smile on my face and in my heart. I am so grateful for the children at Axtell Park and that God has placed me there.


What's something that made you smile today?

Something Beautiful

Prompt: Thank God for something beautiful.

 Thank you, God, for the sky. 

Every single day I look forward to the sky and what beauty You will present us with next. 

From the sunrise to pitch black, 

I catch myself in amazement at how rapidly and constantly changing the sky really is.

Thank you so much, Lord, for the gorgeous reminder that you make beautiful things out of all of us and that, much like the sky, we are constantly shifting- 

being formed by you to be the most beautiful versions of ourselves that we could ever be. 

What's something beautiful in your life that you're thankful for?

A Month of Thankfulness

As I was trying to decide what wonderful news to share, I ran across something that needs to be shared immediately! My friend Britta posted on her blog something that her sister-in-law is doing for the month of November to really help her to be mindful of all of the things the Lord has blessed us with that we can be thankful for. By clicking here, you can check out what Jen has planned and then you can go ahead and peek at her blog to see the awesome things in her life that make her thankful (along with some other great posts)!

So, I am a little behind, but I do plan on catching up. I figure even if I run into December a little bit- you can never have too much thankfulness!

Just a post...

This is a post simply to say:

Check back later tonight!

Yes, I do realize how terrible I have been at blogging lately, and I am very sorry. I do plan on going back to the past couple weeks and filling you all in on my crazy exciting busy life. For now, I must go to work. I can hardly wait to come home to post some interesting events, recipes, and much more!

-hannahmarie