Beginner's Grace

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 224: Today, I am grateful for the grace in being a beginner.  

"The expert in anything was once a beginner." 

How easily we forget that expertise takes time. Some things cannot be hurried. Others expertise requires working through failure. We often forget to give ourselves (and others) grace as they are learning. 

How many fur babies did it take for us to learn that kennel training is not unloving or unkind? How many second babies are "better sleepers" because parents are more experienced and do not jump at every sound. How many failed baking projects does it take to be able to whip up something amazing with ease? Excellence is a journey. 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

Embrace the new experiences that keep us learning, growing, and problem-solving. 

Do not forget to savor the ones that are extraordinary like holding your baby for the first time knowing that you have no experience, no idea what you are doing, but you are still their favorite person. (Happy Birthday, Chase! B-day post on another day.)We find ourselves praying that God will protect them in spite of our inexperience. It is the perfect example of beginner's grace. Babies know the voice, the scent, and the heartbeat of their parents. 

If it is your first day of a new job, a new school year, or as a beginner navigating life after a loss... grant yourself grace, too. 

Today, I am grateful for the grace in being a beginner.  

Clear Thoughts

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 223: Today, I am grateful for clear thoughts. 

Some days our thoughts are clearer than others. This quote is great!

"I don't want to be in the loop or out of the loop. I want to be aware of the loop & it's contents, but free from any loop related responsibilities." -Unknown

Know what you want; know what you do not want. Make your intentions clear. Then, take on the day. 

The idioms dictionary says this about "in the loop:"

The phrase in the loop means that a certain group of people deal with important decisions or have specific knowledge of something. If you are in the loop, then you are one of this group and are party to the particular knowledge that the other group members have. A loop being something that goes around in a full circle.

It comes from military terminology, with officers in command needing to pass on orders to the soldiers. Keeping lines of communication open and regularly updated in a feedback loop, so all personnel are informed.

With knowledge comes responsibility. There are times it is okay to sit back and let things work out. A clear head will take you far. 

Today, I am grateful for clear thoughts. 

Laughter Diffuses

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 222: Today, I am grateful that laughter diffuses.

Electric bills are not funny. There are times that laughter helps us cope. Many are experiencing high electric bills after weeks of high temperatures, with only small breaks. 

Utility bills are one of those things that can quickly impact budgets. Humor does not make it go away, but it reminds us that many are in the same boat. 

"My electricity bill just came today and I believe I got charged for the Sunlight, Moonlight, Streetlight, the "Light of the Holy Spirit," and the "Light at the End of the Tunnel."

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22

Creative coping through humor. 

Today, I am grateful that laughter diffuses.

Offers of Safety

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 221: Today, I am grateful for offers of safety. 

What a world we live in! It is a world in desperate need of random acts of kindness and unexpected gentleness. 

"Every creature is trying to survive a world growing louder, hotter, and less gentle. Be the reason one small life feels safe today." 

What if each one of us was intentional about pouring more gentleness and less of the "spirit of corrective-ness" into our days? By the way, that is not a "fruit of the Spirit." To be patient, gentle, and kind is much more Christlike, but it is not always an instant reaction. Unkind works cannot be regathered when we regret them. Too often, they echo, too. 

Offer encouragement and a place to rest for weary souls. It is part of fellowship and it is a part of ministry. 

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." -Luke 12:6-7 

And... do not forget the creatures of the earth. These hot, hot days are hard on them, too. 

Today, I am grateful for offers of safety. 

30 Shades of Blue

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 220: Today, I am grateful for 30 shades of blue. 

I found this picture on Pinterest and instantly knew it was my gratitude for the day. Ohmygoodness! It makes my soul sing. Clear turquoise waters are my favorite. Every shade makes me think of a time and a place. Color is as connected to our memories as scents. Clear turquoise is the color of the water at White Bay Beach, Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I. 

Mama always loved "robin egg blue." Perhaps that is why I love it, too.  It was the color of the pants she was wearing the day she met Dad at Aunt Judy's work picnic. Aunt Judy was not dating anyone at the time and took Mama as her plus one. Dad was Aunt Judy's boss's plus one. Life does take plot twists.  

Light is essential for color perception, as it interacts with objects to create the colors we see. Light brings colors to life. 

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light." 
-Ephesians 5:13

The many shades of blue are full of memories, fun times, stormy skies, and quiet nights glittering with stars. 

What is your favorite? 

Today, I am grateful for 30 shades of blue. 

List Keepers

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 219: Today, I am grateful for the list keepers.

There are so many ways to keep lists. What would we do without them? My Sister-in-Love, Jennifer, is a leftie with amazing handwriting. These two things do not always go together. She has a talent for finding fun pens (they have to dry quick when you are a leftie) and cute notepads. She nearly always has at least one list on the kitchen counter. It makes me smile. 

Now, we have many ways to keep lists in this modern world. Google has multiple options. I have a grocery list keeper in my Paprika app that I use when I have a short time to shop and a list that must be completed accurately. 

I love a checklist when learning a new task or doing one that gets done only once a year. I remember learning PowerSchool's administrative tasks. I would always tell our PowerSchool queen, Lauri V., to "send me the path and I will figure it out." It was a list of steps in the order they are clicked, and learning one path always allowed for detours for learning other things. 

It is the end of a long week and there is still a list of things that need to be completed, so this meme made me giggle. There are different kinds of list keepers. I found these two passages today. In the Bible, lists are most often found including genealogy and when there is an order that something needs to be completed. You want to be found in the Book of Life, that keeps the name of those who choose to follow Yahweh (meaning I AM WHO I AM). The list still grows. There is, also, a reference to this book of life in Malachi and I think Daniel 12:1, too. 

"Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name." -Malachi 3:16

"The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." -Revelation 3:5

We want to be on that list! Believe, repent, receive, and live. That is a list no one else can complete for us. It is one we do not want to put off. We want to make the list. 

Today, I am grateful for the list keepers.
 

Strong Roots

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 218: Today, I am grateful for strong roots.

"Be so rooting in God's plan that even disappointment feels like divine protection." -TobyMac, Speaklife

I love this quote from TobyMac. 

Roots matter. They can be shallow or deep. I think of those descriptions often when considering roots. But what about strong? For some plants, long roots are the norm, but they can be easily pulled. For others, the roots can be more shallow, but they hold on tight. Strong roots matter. 

There is power in knowing that disappointment might be hiding divine protection. It reflects being deeply rooted. 

" for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." -Psalm 61:3

Today, I am grateful for strong roots.