Beautiful Doorways

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 264: Today, I am grateful for beautiful doorways. 

"Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul." -Peggy Toney Horton

It is a beautiful and accurate description of September. 

Look behind you, and you can see the remnants of summer days. 

Look ahead, and you can see Autumn is ready to unleash nature's paintbrush on the leaves of the trees. We know it is coming... but we are not quite there. 

Soon there will be bonfires, sweatshirts, hayrides, and flannel... but we are not quite there. 

Savor September. It is fleeting, but it is sweet. 

"Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years." -Genesis 1:14

There are signs as we continue to mark the seasons, the days, and the years. September is a beautiful doorway... may it linger a little longer. 

Today, I am grateful for beautiful doorways. 

The Hard Places

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 263: Today, I am grateful for the hard places. 

We do not choose the hard places... most of the time...  unless the hard places are a consequence of poor choices. The rain falls on the good and the bad, as the old saying goes. If we are honest, none of us is "good." 

"We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." Romans 3:22-24

I long for the day the image in my mirror reflects Him more than it does me, but I have a long way to go. Every day is a gift. With every prayerful confession there is a fresh touch of His grace and restoration. 

Elisabeth Elliot said this: "The hard place in which you perhaps find yourself is the very place in which God is giving you the only opportunity to look only to Him, to spend time in prayer, and to learn long-suffering, gentleness, meekness - in short, to learn the depths of the love that Christ himself has poured out on all of us." 

There it is. The hard places have a purpose. They are defining, refining, and teaching us to wait on God's timing. They are the seasons that help us grow more cognizant of who He is. 

Slow down. Be still. Wait. He will make a way through the "fire-swamps" of life. ("Princess Bride" reference.) 

Today, I am grateful for the hard places. 

Humility Recipe

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 262: Today, I am grateful for a recipe for humility. 

What does genuine humility look like? Paul gives us a recipe for humility in his letter to the Philippians. 

"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." -Philippians 2:3-4

This is a perfect passage to support this quote,

 "Humility is not liking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less." -C.S. Lewis

When we begin thinking of others more, we begin to understand that were are one small puzzle piece in God's big picture plan. We are limited to this place in time and space. God sees all. 

Today, I am grateful for a recipe for humility. 

Pray About Everything

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 261: Today, I am grateful for the instruction to pray about everything. 

I don't think we can worry and pray at the same time. Prayer is not a shopping list we give God to tell him what we want. Prayer is an opportunity to come into relationship with the God of the Universe. That He tells us that he hears our prayers. He listens and leans into our trials and our joys. 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. -Philippians 4:6 NLT

Bring Him your trials and bring him your tears. Talk to him like a best friend, and laugh with Him, too. He wants to hear about everything! Yes, everything. 

The One who granted each of us our soul breath knows the number of the stars in the sky, the number of hairs on our heads, and the number of times our hearts will beat. He is an awesome God, but he wants to be in relationship with us. How can we not find time to answer His invitation? 

Today, I am grateful for the instruction to pray about everything. 

Letters

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 260: Today, I am grateful for letters. 

"If Paul could see the church today, we'd be getting a letter." 

This image has crossed my path a couple of times. It is funny, but there is an ugly truth in it, too. 

I still love letters. They were my lifeline to my church camp friends when I was a child. Long-distance calls were expensive, so we wrote letters. Those letters were treasures.

Email is great, but a handwritten letter holds a piece of a person forever in a handwriting sample. Never underestimate the joy a note can bring. 

Paul's letters to the churches were full of hope, encouragement, and sometimes correction. His notes were brutally honest at times. 

"I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.." -2 Corinthians 7:8-9

Paul sent his letters in love and in truth. They were eager to hear what he had to say. He was their mentor, teacher, and friend. He sometimes told them things they did not want to hear. Still, they savored each letter, memorized them, copied them, and shared them. 

Today, I am grateful for letters. 

Celebrations

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 259: Today, I am grateful for celebrations. 

Today marks two-years-ago my life-long friend (5th grade) Sally's heavenly homecoming after a whirlwind battle with cancer. I still long for our conversations... especially the ones about faith, Jesus, and loving our kids, and families. She prayed for mine and I prayed for hers. 

The ache of missing Sally is real, but the truth of the reunion ahead keeps our eyes fixed on the hope we have in Jesus. Sally's husband, Lyn, posted a quote that resonated deeply, "You can't take anything to heaven but your neighbor." Great quote and perfect to reflect Sally's passion for the life changing power of the Gospel. 

One of my closest friends at church is battling that ugly disease of breast cancer. She is celebrating her birthday today. She is a reason to celebrate every day. Serving with Julie in youth ministry for more than 30 years together has been something I cannot put into words. Her faithful testimony in this trial humbles all of us around her. She has the best parts of "Mary and Martha." She "washes the feet" of everyone in her circle... even when she is sick. She is a faithful servant. 

September 7th marked a decade for Jill in heaven. Jill's celebration of life was on September 11th, which is also Dad's and our nephew Jason's birthdays. Celebration of joy and sorrow seem to almost always overlap. Todd was blessed with Sarah... who just celebrated her birthday on September 6th... a gift of joy around the same dates 

My sister, April, woke up in heaven on August 26, 1995... next year, it will be 30 years next year. We buried April on my Sister-in-Love, Jennifer's birthday, September 2nd, when Jennifer was very pregnant with my niece, Ciara. April had a beautiful military funeral instead of a wedding. Ciara arrived just a few days past April's birthday, giving us great joy to ease the sorrow. 

September 9, 1985, was to be April's wedding celebration to her fiancé, Mark.  A wedding uncelebrated. Twenty-nine Wedding Anniversaries that did not happen. Learning to trust God's heart when His ways make no sense at all. 

Sister-in-Love Jennifer's brother, Jeff, died on September 8, 2022, after a 7 month cancer battle. September 13th was his celebration of life. Cancer makes every single birthday more special. Jeff's last big outing was Ciara and Cody's wedding day. We had the best conversation about God that day. He was a special guy. I write each of these gratitude posts at a desk surrounded by his woodworking skills. Jeff shared his skills and talents with all of us. 

Our special friend, Tonya, celebrated her birthday yesterday. She is a beautiful person with a beautiful soul. Tonya has filled a sister role for Randy, because she and his sister, Lola, are so much alike. We are very grateful she was born and placed in our lives. God provides our every need. 

Just around the corner, Donna (Emma and Leah's Mom and our dear friend), has a birthday ... her second in heaven. I celebrate all the "mom things" we shared. We are so grateful she raised the perfect wife for Chase. Last year, on September 9th, Emma's father, Jeff, married a beautiful girl named Sherry. New love is a sweet gift after great loss. It does not betray the memory of loved ones' lost, it is a reminder that God does not abandon His children. We were born for relationships. 

This week, a dear sister, Linda, at church said good-bye to her sister. She stood with us at April's grave 29 years ago and gave me the book, "Traveling Light" by Max Lucado that I have shared many times over. She and our church family have traveled to Clifton to be with us in all of our losses. Matt and Jennifer know many of them and have reminded me of the blessing of our church faith community. 

We have had four funerals at church in the past month. By God's grace and Jesus's work on the cross, each one knew the peace of trusting Jesus this world cannot buy. Each one is still grieved deeply. Life goes on, but there are missing pieces of our hearts grieve not on a timeline that comes to an end, but in waves. The waves come and go... even after 30 days, 30 months, and 30 years.  

If you did not follow all of that, don't worry. As I wrote it, it felt a little like the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew and Luke. The purpose of my ramblings is to show that the first weeks in September are full of different kinds of time markers and celebrations. Some are sad. Some are happy. Some come as surprises. Others are anticipated. In September, like every other day of the year, we have to choose how we respond to the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. Yes, we choose. 

The beautiful-ugly, and some things are both at the same time, reminds us that we must be intentional about our celebrations and in our mourning. God designed us to live in a community that lives, laughs, grieves, and loves with us. 

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." - Romans 12:15

Today, I am grateful for celebrations. 

The End

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 258: Today, I am grateful for the end. 

Every celebration has a beginning and an end. Sweet Nina Milankovic Forret shared this image with me. I knew I wanted to use it for a gratitude post. She framed it beautifully. The sun has now set on another Pumpkin Festival. The countdown until next year's festival begins. Every ending is a new beginning. 

Endings can be happy and they can be sad. Any way you slice it, they are part of life. Nature reminds us all of the time about the circle of life. Soon, I will harvest seeds from my zinnias and my hyacinth bean vine. Their death at the end of summer gives us the seeds for next year. Endings can bring mixed emotions. How we frame them matters. I will choose to frame them with hope. 

The end of the Festival means some traditions were kept. We tried new things, too. Time spent with our grown children is always treasured. Family came to visit (Kathleen & Trinity). Many who have moved away came home for a visit, too. Many apple cider slushies were consumed. It was a jam packed week and weekend. We need an end so we can rest and recover.

" For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.  For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better." -Philippians 1:1-22

This passage has been on my mind. It is one of my favorites. We are so blessed to be able to have the confidence that comes from knowing Jesus.  

Today, I am grateful for the end.. and what comes next. 

The Season of Pumpkins

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 257: Today, I am grateful for the season of pumpkins.

Ah, September welcomes what someone once coined as the "-ber" month. In one blink it is halfway done. October is literally around the corner. As "The Pumpkin Capital of the World", we start putting out the pumpkins early. In fact, we always have a few tucked around the house. 

Pumpkins come in so many colors and shades. I do not know know many varieties exist. I tend to describe them by color, shape, and size. Ornamental and pie pumpkins would be another way I tend to sort them out.  I saw a t-shirt where different varieties of pumpkin were listed. I need to get pumpkin educated. After all these years, there is so much to learn. 

One of our favorite newer additions to the Pumpkin Festival is a group that roasts pumpkins and fills them with stew. It is absolutely delicious and they use the money to help the homeless and the hungry. I do not know the pumpkin varieties. I know that pumpkins are squash, but not all squash are pumpkins.  

God is so evident in creation. When the winter is coming, there are foods that keep for a very long time, including fall/winter squash. (Acorn and Butternut are two of my favorites.)

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” -Genesis 8:22

Enjoy the fall's bounty. 

Today, I am grateful for the season of pumpkins.

Grown-Up Kids

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 256: Today, I am grateful for our grown-up kids.

Every season of life has its joys and trials. We can choose what we focus on. Watching young families managing the Pumpkin Festival with their littles brings back so many memories of juggling kids of different ages and at different stages. Trying to make everyone happy with food choices, ride choices, and length of stay meant there had to be conversations about expectations. And in a blink, they became adults.   

Now, standing in line means extra time for conversations. (The food lines move fast, even when they are long.) Reminiscing is a part of taking in the festival. The Smiths tend to suffer from motion sickness. We have unique-to-us names for many of the rides that I will spare you here. Ask Chase, Walker, Ryan Leander, and Blake Leander if you want to know those special names. 

The past few years I have volunteered with the Morton 709 crew at the Pumpkin Grill. My job has been to help direct the food line. (It is set up a little like the weaving Disney World lines.) How many times can you give the same directions? "Only stand in line at the foods you want." "Go around the foods you don't want... it helps the line flow quickly and it is not "cutting" or rude." "Near the drinks/sweets you can reunite with family members before you head to the check-out line." "Divide and conquer... one person gets the meat and the other grabs the chili..." "Yes, you can use a card. Save your cash for the Apple Cider Slushies." I sometimes lose my voice by the end of 3 hours... and that might be the perk for the Love-of-my-Life.  

One of the perks of working the line is seeing former "Jr. Potters" who are now grown-up. Some are seniors in High School... others are really grown-up, married, and attending with their babies and children. It makes me love our little village even more. Family and friends who become family are part of the charm. The world is big, but home is home (just like a part of my heart remains in Iroquois county). 

Tonight, upon asking if anyone had questions, one young woman said "yes" but not about the food line. She asked if there was any way of knowing when the "pumpkin stink" would start and stop. The answer was simple. "No, It comes and goes."  She was a lovely young woman in her early to mid twenties and loving life here in Morton, but the "stink" is unique. It is not all the time. We endure the "stink" so we can enjoy pumpkin pie and all of the other fabulous pumpkin items our nation enjoys at our local Nestle/Libby's canning plant. (The stink is associated with the pumpkin carcass waste left when the pumpkins have been processed.) 

Those who grew up here associate the "pumpkin stink" with the Pumpkin Festival and happy times, so the stink brings a sense of nostalgia (a perfect word borrowed from Allison Vastine). I remember our  Walker coming home from college for the first visit in the fall of his freshman year at college.  He rolled down his windows at the Morton exit and that stink brought a sense of joy.  Allison mentioned the exact same experience on her way into town this week. That "pumpkin stink" stirs memories of childhood and increases the joy factor. It is all about perspective. 

Perhaps the title of today's gratitude should have been "pumpkin stink" but it is the grown-up perspective that reframes the smell into something special... of not exactly "good." 

Usually a scripture comes to mind by the end of a daily gratitude post. Today, I had to dig a little deeper, but found one I think fits just right. As I reflect on the first days of the festival, I have witnessed kindness, humble service, celebration, generosity, patience, delight, affection, laughter, reminiscing, and making new memories. It really is the best week because of the people.

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other." -Romans 12:10

Love the place you live. Embrace your local festivals and homecomings. Delight in your grown-up kids. 

Today, I am grateful for our grown-up kids.

Apple Cider Slushies

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 255: Today, I am grateful for Uncle Bud's Apple Cider Slushies. 

I love pumpkin. I really do. But my favorite treat each year at the Pumpkin Festival is the Apple Cider Slushies from Uncle Bud's. They are incredible. Sweet and tangy at the same time. 

I have a motto, "A slushie a day until the festival goes away (and two on Saturday)." 

The nicest people run it. They greet each customer with kindness. Even when the lines are wild and long, they understand customer service. They move fast but never skimp on service. 

I am sure there are many faces that become familiar as they make their rounds from spring until fall. Still, it is so nice to be recognized. There is something special about being known. I am reminded of this passage I recently shared with a friend battling cancer. It is one of my favorites for troubled times, too. 

In our joys and in our sorrows, we have a God who sees us. 

"Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13)

In Hebrew, the name is "El Roi." What a beautiful thing it is to be known by "the God who sees me." It reminds of that old song, "Someone to Watch Over Me." It whispers comfort when the day is long or the situation is difficult. 

Today, I am grateful for Uncle Bud's Apple Cider Slushies... and for a God who sees me.

Patriot Day

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 254: Today, I am grateful for Patriot Day.

Patriot Day... here we are 23 years later. We said we would never forget, but humans are prone to short memories. It is a day of remembrance.. as is Patriot Day. Let us remember. 

On a plane over Pennsylvania, at the Pentagon, and in New York City we saw heroism that reflects the best in us. It came from first responders, our military, and from ordinary men and women who demonstrated love, compassion, and caring on the very worst day of their lives. They reflexively responded with a desire to protect and provide what others needed. In their own injuries and brokenness, they reached out to help the person next to them. Many were strangers. 

As we look around today, many were too young to remember. They were not even born. We guarded our children from being consumed by our own fears as the skies went silent for days. Air travel stopped. The images on our TV screens did not. They played over and over the horrors of that day. 

In those days, we came together in unity. Through tragedy and brokenness, we found common ground. We showed respect to our first responders, our military, our flag, and our God. When things are falling apart and burning around us, it is suddenly permissible to talk about God and prayer. 

There were so many miracles that day. Missed trains. Doctors appointments. Missed flights.  Each inconvenience or change in schedule meant a life was saved. Do we thank God for our delays? That day, we did. 

Twenty-three years... it is the age of some of our youngest school teachers, firemen, EMTs, and police officers. What feels like yesterday to those who lived through it, does not evoke the same emotion from those who view it as history. 

Patriots can be recognized by their courage, character, and consistency. They show up when they are needed. They stay until they have done all they can do. They wipe the tears and hold the broken in their arms. They pray over the dying at their last breath. They deliver the news to the widows and widowers. They "wash the feet" of others day after day. 

9/11 was Dad's birthday. 
9/11 was the day we buried Jill in 2014

Time marches on. 9/11 will continue to be a day of births, deaths, and burials as life marches on. We do not know the end date on our dash. We can know the Author of our Days and our  Lord and Savior. He is our refuge, help, and hope. 

"I look up to the mountains— 

 does my help come from there?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!" -Psalm 121:1-2

Today, I am grateful for Patriot Day.

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 253: Today, I am grateful for the book of Acts.

I spent years asking God to be a part of whatever I was doing. When I read the book of Acts. I see people privileged to play a part in what God was doing." -Francis Chan, Forgotten God 

This is a great quote. I remember as a child reading the Bible that the book of Acts seemed scary. As a child I hyper focused on the beatings, persecution, and the many days in prison. I found it scary. 

Several  years ago, we spent some time in Acts during a Sunday School class. I remember seeing Acts with new eyes. Instead of inducing fear, I found the wonder in it all. Some had walked and talked with Jesus. Saul/Paul had done his best to destroy the spread of the  Gospel. Then, he came face to face with the one he had persecuted. The change in Saul was so radical, his name was changed to Paul. His sold out, crazy love for Jesus is woven into so many chapters of Acts. 

The book of Acts calls for unity between the Jews and the Gentiles as brothers and sisters in Christ. As you read through the chapters it is easy to see a perspective shift. 

"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper ), and to prayer." - Acts 2:42 

Immersed in what God is doing! What a way to live. 

As an adult, I see the challenge and the wonder in His invitation to each one of us. He longs for us to be excited by his invitation to take part in what He is doing. It is not the other way around. 

Today, I am grateful for the book of Acts.

The Invitation to "Remain In Me"

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 252: Today, I am grateful for the invitation to "remain in Me." 

Stay is such a lovely word. It is an invitation that says I want you with me. We often think of the word in the romantic sense. 

The church is called the "Bride of Christ." What does that look like? 

I think it reminds us that once we say "yes" to an intimate relationship with Jesus and experience his goodness, we want to stay near to him. We do not want to be apart. 

 Being together brings a sense of contentment. Knowing we are loved, treasured, forgiven, wanted, and welcome is a special kind of love. That kind of love is powerful. It can act as a compass and as a comfort.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me." -John 15:4

The picture is from a word study I did on the word "abide." In Greek, the word is Meno. It means to stay, to remain, to be held. The comparable Hebrew word is "Yashab." Yashab means to sit, to remain, and to dwell. It is the greatest of invitations. 

I once heard it described as steeping ourselves in Christ like a tea bag steeps in hot water. I love the image it conjures up in my head. The tea bag does not do much until you add the water. Hot water brews it to perfection faster than a cold sun-brewed option. Perhaps there is a lesson in that, too. 

Remain... abide... stay. 

Today, I am grateful for the invitation to "remain in Me." 

Warning Labels

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 251: Today, I am grateful for  warning labels. 

"For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment or even common sense." - C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis was a great thinker and observer. He  takes the most complex spiritual thoughts and gives them clarity. I am grateful for the many times his words act as warning labels. 

Warning labels help increase safety. They bring our attention to hidden and unseen dangers. They remind us to think before we act. 

The world is full of dangerous things, but C.S. Lewis often wrote words that act as warning labels for our souls as we sift through modern living. Isn't it funny that his books seem timeless? I think it is because they are deeply reflective of the scriptures he read often as he sought truth. 

I discovered this as my verse of the day, after the gratitude was written. It is a better fit than the one I thought of first. (That is always a God-wink. He wins again.) 

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing." - Psalm 143:10

His Word and His Spirit often give warning when we approach dangerous ground or waters.

Today, I am grateful for  warning labels.

Homecomings

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 250: Today, I am grateful for homecomings.         

There is a difference between knowing someone and living with them. I remember the often given advice that living with a best friend in college can end a friendship. You can know someone and love someone... but living together... it means you see each other morning, noon, midnight, and "O'Dark Thirty" (any time it is too early to be awake). 

I was so blessed with my college roommate. When we found each other, we stayed together. I have often thought it is the best preparation for marriage. Two people from different family experiences find a way to live together. My Laurie Jean was perfect for me!!! Not everyone gets a Laurie Jean. 

A college roommate is a temporary living arrangement. Laurie went home for holidays and for summer and so did  We always looked forward to the reunions and were sad at the separations. We made a home in our tiny little dorm room with essentially two beds, two desks, two closets, a dresser, small fridge, and a walkway between the beds that pushed in for daytime, doubling as sofas.  That was all we had. It was enough. 

Some of my best college memories were made in that small room. The last time I saw her was at an ONU Homecoming. Homecomings are good. 

We had different majors. Our social circles were woven together, but there were many days we barely saw each other unless we planned for a meal together. There was always something sweet when the day was done and we were both "home" for the evening. 

I love this passage from John:

"Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them." -John 14:23

Jesus is not talking about a visit. He is talking about a Homecoming. He longs to come and make His home with each of us. The Holy Trinity... Father, Son, and Spirit... long to make our hearts home. It is profound. It is hard to grasp with human  understanding. Childlike faith pleases our Lord. 

When the Disciples were beaten, jailed, and hunted... their temporary homes were jail cells or strangers homes. Jesus encouraged them to travel light and to not be too attached to worldly things. They each understood the day would come when they would make the final journey to their Heavenly home. 

Today, I am grateful for homecomings.

Work Can Be Worship

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 249: Today, I am grateful that work can be worship.        

"You daily work is ultimately an act of worship to the God who called and equipped you to do it- no matter what kind of work it is." -Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor 

This is so beautifully articulated. The most  humble of work can be the most important. Changing diapers, cleaning bed sheets, scrubbing toilets, and picking up garbage. Whatever our work, if we do treat it as an act of worship, God can use it. 

Daily routines are not exciting, but they bring calm and comfort. Grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, and picking up dog poop can be miserable or joyful, depending on our attitude and our gratitude. 

Whatever job we do to make a living can be an act of worship, too. He gifts us with each new day. Embrace the opportunity each day brings. 

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." -Romans 12:1

Today, I am grateful that work can be worship.                                                                                                                              

3/4 Way There

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 248: Today, I am grateful we must be 3/4 of the way there.

Some days gratitude is serious. Some days, we need a little humor. Today required humor. 

"Livin' on a Prayer" is a great song. Jon Bon Jovi's talent is rich. He sings songs that remind me of childhood. For the younger crowd, Bon Jovi is on "the oldies" radio stations.  

The songs of our youth offer comfort. Even people in their 30's can appreciate the songs and bands they loved in high school. While some of our tastes in music may change over time, there is something about a power ballad from our youth that makes us smile and feel like a kid again. 

Are there power ballads in the Bible? I suppose there are Psalms that would qualify. This scripture made seems to fit the bill:

"After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." -Revelation 19:1

It is powerful. It tells a story. Imagine the music of heaven? Imagine hearing it for the first time. Imagine, every song is a favorite. We can only imagine. 

Today, I am grateful we must be 3/4 of the way there.

Hard Times

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 247: Today, I am grateful for hard times.

This verse reminds me that God often uses hard times to refine us. 

"I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering." - Isaiah 48:10 

So many times I have heard people say on the other side of something hard, "I would not sign  up for that trial, but I would not want to give back what I learned through the experience."

 That is a truth bomb. We humans learn best the things we learn the hard way. 

We learn through hard times and failure. We learn through sickness and disappointment. We moan and groan... and long for better times. Still, I think the scriptures remind us that the hard times produce good things in us. The refining fires shape us into better messengers of the Gospel. We are more compassionate, more empathetic, stronger, and more present for each other when we have known and survived hard times. 

Your ministry... the thing that draws at your heartstrings... is likely a reflection of a trial God has brought you through. Perseverance is not an easy teacher, but a good one.  

This quote is powerful:

"Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” -G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain

Remember that the trials of today are temporary. Hard times come and go. We choose how we respond to them. Do they defeat us or define  us? Decisions. Decisions. 

 Today, I am grateful for hard times. 

My Brother's Choice

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 246: Today, I am grateful for my brother's choice. 

"You get what you get and you don't pitch a fit." It is a popular saying. It is good practice. Be grateful for what you have. 

Sometimes, a gift is  beyond our expectations. My little brother chose his partner for life well. She is the sister he chose for me, and I would not trade her for anything. She makes me laugh. She shares our tears and our fears. She loves Jesus. She is a great Mom. She is the best of the best. 

I am grateful for the way she loves my sons and my husband. She loves our whole family... the whole Blooming Bess Bunch, the Lindgren Clan, and the Smith side, too. She meant it when she said, "I do. I choose you." 

She puts others first and has a genuinely generous spirit. Her birthday is an opportunity to say "thank-you" and we notice. 

"And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!" -Proverbs 8:31

Today, I am grateful for my brother's choice. 

September

  

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 245: Today, I am grateful for September.

And just like that... August turns into September. 

It is one of my favorite months of the year. It has marked great sadness, but it has also marked great joy. September holds some of my favorite birthdays, People born in September are some of the most loving, faithful, generous, and loyal people I know. 

September brings fall festivals, including our beloved Pumpkin Festival. Apple cider slushies are a few days away. 

September is written on our hearts in some of the songs we love from our youth. How many songs can we list that mention September? I think we should make a game of it in the comments. 

I am grateful God gave us seasons to enjoy:

"He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; " -Daniel 2:21

Today, I am grateful for September.