A Sharp Knife

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 306: Today, I am grateful for a sharp knife.

At the end of nearly fourteen years, I am not sure "a sharp knife" has ever made the list at the end of nearly fourteen years. A sharp knife is a kitchen necessity. Knife and blade making is an ancient art. It is necessary for cooking. Can be used for digging if it is the only thing you have on hand. I can chop, dice, and slice... as long as it is sharp. 

Not long ago, the kids gave me a knife as a gift. It is one of my favorites for chopping veggies and many other things. Every time I use it, I think of them and am reminded that the right tool for any job makes it easier. 

I grew up watching the original "MacGyver" on television. He can make anything and escape trouble with a Swiss army knife and a roll of duct tape. In that show, sharp knives saved lives in many episodes. When facing a difficult situation, the right tool at the right time is a game changer. 

Often gratitude inspires me to find a certain passage of scripture. Today, the scripture came first. It was in my inbox. I don't carry a sword, but I use a knife everyday. I am grateful when the knife is sharp. 

God's Word is the right tool at the right time. It is full of answers. There are times it cuts sharp and deep. If we read only the happy, feel good passages, we miss the meat and the heart of the scriptures. We miss the power, the wonder, and the wonderful. 

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  Hebrews 4:12

When a passage cuts us like a two-edged sword, we have a choice. Close the book and ignore the Spirit, or work through the discomfort and pain. I am not an athlete, but I know that when it starts to burn and hurt, the true athlete does not quit. In fact, they recognize that their bodies are being transformed by the training.  Discomfort during training isn't necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes it is part of becoming stronger.

It is the same with God's Word. Keep digging. Keep reading. Keep praying for discernment. When was the last time a passage of Scripture challenged you in a way that made you uncomfortable? Did you put it down, or did you allow God to use it to sharpen you?

Today, I am grateful for a sharp knife.

Gratitude Transforms

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 305: Today, I am grateful gratitude transforms. 

It is November. On this day, find a notebook page with 30 lines and record one thing you are grateful for the entire month. (Or post it in the comments here, if you would like to share it publicly. 

If you struggle for ideas (due to the pressure of a decision) I always turn to my five senses. What do I see, touch, taste, hear, or smell that inspires gratitude? It is a great way to get grounded when grasping for an idea. Gratitude changes everything.

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough." -Melody Beattie

I know this quote oozes with truth. We cannot always change our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond. Take the pause to ponder or pray. That moment can transform a clump of grump into a hallelujah. I've been accused of putting on "rose colored glasses" or people assume I've been spared the really hard stuff. Being grateful in all things is what turns what we have into enough.

My life has been full of blessings, but in truth everyone you meet... including me and you... has a story and a chapter in their lives that could break your heart. It is why we are told that "The greatest of these is love." It is love that carries us through the storms and goes with us into the deep valleys.  It is love that zips our lips and listens instead of sharing our own trials and hardships. Those who show up when we weep are the ones we want on the mountain top celebrations, too. 

Everyone has lived loss, struggle, disappointment, and trials that seem to never end in some seasons. To show grace and mercy when it is hard is good for the recipient, but it is equally powerful in our own lives. Expressing thanksgiving in all things is powerful. I've never thought about it before, but did Jesus's last words on the cross include gratitude, too? "It is finished." I cannot humanly grasp the weight or the layers in that statement, but I am a recipient of His work and His gift. 

Romans 12:15 is a favorite of mine. (I know... you see it often.)

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." 

If you have been walking this gratitude journey long, you might have it memorized, too. Let it guide this month of Thanksgiving. Who rejoiced with you? Who sat with you or hugged you in loss or disappointment. These are powerful gifts from a God who delights in our expressions of gratitude. 

"Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." -Psalm 22:3 

He is enthroned by our praise! Psalm 22 is a statistical curiosity when you lay it beside the four Gospels record of the Crucifixion. King David, around 1000 BC, penned them prophetically;  Jesus spoke Psalm 22:1 from the cross. 

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

Barely able to catch his breath, Jesus chose the words of Psalm 22. He knew the mission. He would have preferred to skip it, as is documented, but he went willingly. He walked the road of suffering in love, trusting that God would accept the sacrifice of the "perfect lamb" for all who choose Him. Fully man and fully God, he changed everything. And, in that final moment, he said in exhaustion, in pain, in victory, and might we suggest... gratitude? It is finished." 

However you record it, find moments to be grateful for this next month. 

Today, I am grateful gratitude transforms. 

Wise Warnings

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 304: Today, I am grateful for wise warnings. 

Today was gorgeous! A beautiful end to October. 

On this Halloween, this quote struck me as perfect for a day when many are in costumes and pretending to be superheroes, cowboys, princesses, and wherever their imagination takes them. Imagination is fun, but lies and deceit are a tactic of the enemy of our souls.  

"The enemy always attacks identity first. 
He did it with Eve. 
He did it with Jesus in the wilderness. 
'If you really are...'

That's the oldest tactic in the book. If he can shake who you believe you are, your decisions start bending around the lie." -Rachel Green Taylor

Such a wise observation of a timeless battle plan that often works leaving us feeling defeated. We forget who we are and we were meant to be. Bless my "Earworm"... he is singing "Child of the One True King" by Matthew West. That is a great battle song when we start to question who we are because of the enemy's lies. 

This passage was perfect for the quote and the day: 

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are." -1 Peter 5:8-9

Stick together. Remember who you are in Him. Stand strong. You've got this!    

Today, I am grateful for wise warnings. 

October Weather

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 303: Today, I am grateful for October weather. 

2026 provided a real spring and a real fall. Sometimes my favorite seasons are short-changed when May gets hot and never lets up until October is nearly gone. This year, it seems we have had a true spring and a true fall. 

With October nearly gone, I smiled at this definition of October weather:

Sweater in the morning, heat stroke by noon, and  electric blanket by 8 pm.

Yes! That is fall. A little bit of everything in twenty-four hours. The leaves are stunning this year. It seems all of the conditions were met for full color. With a warm beverage in hand and my "earworm" singing "How Great Thou Art"... let the day begin!  

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:12

Today, I am grateful for October weather. 

Blursday

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 302: Today, I am grateful we can press on.  

Blursday: When you are not sure what day of the week it is. 

This week has been a full moon on a Sunday-Monday kind of week, but we have made it to Thursday. It might feel more like a "Blursdays," but we can trust that there is a weekend in sight. 

It is good to be reminded that humans have very real struggles that come with the very real joys in each and every day and week. I love reminders to press on. 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

We each have our own race... at our own pace. Some move through with the speed and grace of the deer. Others are more snail or sloth speed. Both will cross the finish line with different lessons on the journey. 

Whatever your pace, take on this "Blursday" with courage and the commitment to press on. 

Today, I am grateful we can press on. 

His Word Stands

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 301: Today, I am grateful His Word stands. 

Truth and fiction seem to have blurring lines these days. AI makes it easier to offer up false things as true. Texting, social media posts, and emails are not truly gone when deleted. It is wise to be careful with our words. Bambi's friend Thumper used to quote his mother, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." 

This quote is funny, but true. 

"Dance like no one is watching, but text and email like it will be read in court one day." -Your Lawyer

Text and emails do not have the added information that comes from tone of voice or history. It reads as a flat out fact to be ascribed to the sender. Sarcasm is known to be the most hurtful form of humor, but it is very much a part of our culture. It can be funny, but it is often unkind.

I love that the truth in God's Word stands on its own; it does not need us to defend it. Revelations of truth can be slow, but they are sure. In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul lists patience among other virtues as fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace. Patience, or "makrothumia" in Greek, refers to the ability to endure difficult situations and to wait without complaining. Many can and do endure. It is the "without complaining" that can be tough. Misery loves company and the "complain train" only picks up speed once it leaves the station. 

C.S. Lewis put forth the challenge to set truth free and watch it defend itself. His Word will stand. 

"As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you." -1Peter 1:24-25 

Today, I am grateful His Word stands.

The Age of Autumn

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 300: Today, I am grateful for the age of autumn. 

"At this age, I remind myself of a tree in autumn. More colorful than I used to be, a bit creaky, losing bits and pieces all the time, holding on through the storms, but could topple over at any time."

There is much truth in this little observation of growing older. It probably applies at forty, fifty, and sixty as much as it does at seventy. There is something wonderful about reaching an age where "more colorful" is a compliment and accepting that things get lost, misplaced, or we simply can't remember where we put them. I have been using the "red button" car finder in the Walmart and Kroger parking lot since my thirties. Have you? 

It is funny how we make adjustments. Instead of using the "car finder," it is easier to park in the same general spot. Being consistent with "one spot" for things that get lost often helps, as does the "Find my Phone" app when necessary. 

"Holding on through the storms" sometimes changes from a sense of hope into a stubborn determination against the forces of nature that arrives with maturity. 

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." -Ecclesiastes 3:1

Whatever season of life you are currently experiencing, embrace it. Look for the "autumn" aspects in every season. Embrace it. Seize the good, the beautiful, and the fierce aspects of each day. 

Today, I am grateful for the age of autumn.