Semicolon

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 48: Today, I am grateful for the semicolon.

I had to laugh at the image. 

"Yes, a winky face is correct. But in ancient times, times, the semicolon was actually used to separate archaic written devices known as 'complete sentences.'"

I love a semicolon. It is a pause that indicates that the first one is complete, but the second one is connected. It can keep a sentence from being too long. It can add strength to a piece of writing without extra words. 

I giggled at the winky face. Still, I think we are missing something if we do not apply the semicolon when it is appropriate. 

The semicolon has become a popular tattoo for those have contemplated, overcome, and found their way past suicidal thoughts. It reminds them of the power of the pause. Whatever is overwhelming today is truly temporary or something that will become more manageable with time. 

Today is not forever; tomorrow is not promised. We truly only have this day. 

"He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Read it again. Pause. Pray. He has got this day. The good, the bad, the victorious, and the pause. Often it is in the semicolon moments that we learn to fully rely on His strength and grace for the day. 

Today, I am grateful for the semicolon.

Battle Ready

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 47: Today, I am grateful for reminders to be battle ready.

Scar is the villain in "The Lion King." He is jealous, a liar, and murderous. Still, I love the song, "Be Prepared." We all need reminders at times to be prepared. 

Knowing and trusting that God is on the throne does not excuse us from good effort preparations. We are  told not to worry. We are instructed to not be lazy or unprepared when a task or assignment is in front of us. 

This passage captured my heart today. I have many I care about preparing for or engaged in cancer battles. Others are dealing with other struggles and seasons of grief. We are instructed to prepare for the day, but to remember that the victory belongs to Him. 

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." -Proverbs 21:31

Lent starts this week. How quickly we move from Christmas to Easter! Jesus's time of ministry is estimated to be about three years. That must have felt short, too. These 40 days will fly by swiftly, and we will once again be at the foot of the cross. For some, it is a time of remembering and gratitude. For others, it will be a time of decision-making. Christmas was about the gift. Easter is a gift that requires a choice and response.  

Then, as now, the world was full of trouble and political unrest. History always seems to repeat itself in one way or another. Illness, financial struggles, evil, and other trials can create a sense of fear and unrest. Prayer is not a last resort defensive move, it is the first line of offense. 

Are we battle ready? Is the horse prepared? The victory is the Lord's, but we are required to show up prepared for the day. 

Today, I am grateful for reminders to be battle ready.

(image from Pinterest, source unknown)

Who Wrote the Book of Love?

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 46: Today, I am grateful for "The Book of Love." 

The Monotones sang "Who Wrote the Book of Love?" It is from before I was born... more than a decade... but it is a great song. I am glad I grew up hearing it as an "oldies."  

It was the song that Earworm started singing this morning as I read these words:

"This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." -1 John 4:10

Now, your Earworm is singing it, too. 

Real love. True love. Forever love. Soul mates. These terms are familiar and show up on everything from Valentines to candy hearts. 

Love is the intentional decision to seek only good for another imperfect person. It is a choice every day. Now, some are easier to love than others, but we are called to choose love, like God chose us. God sent his perfect son into a messed up world. They were killing babies, capturing kingdoms, and even those on the same side often disagreed. It was a harsh and unwelcoming place. 

Lent begins this week. We are reminded of the ultimate example of love. A perfect sacrifice to purchase our sin debt so we might enter eternity with Him. Excellent deal for us, right? 

"The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins." -Romans 8:3

Set free. Sin free. Loved.

Today, I am grateful for "The Book of Love." 

Love Wins

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 45: Today, I am grateful love wins.  

Love has so many seasons, facets, and chapters. From new romances to 70th Anniversaries, love can take on many faces and fill many spaces in our heart. 

This scripture is another way for reminding us that because God loved us first, forgiving the worst in each of us, we can love each other with grace and forgiveness. We will spend a lifetime learning about and practicing "perfect love." We will not always get it right, but we can keep trying. 

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” -John 13:34-35

Each time we choose love, we provide evidence of His work in our lives and in our hearts. It does not mean we always have to get our way, nor do we always need to give in. It means there is give, take, and a balance in love that reflects Christ's work in our hearts. 

Love big. Love hard. Love softly. Love tenaciously. Love with mercy and grace. Love never fails. Love always wins.

Today, I am grateful love wins.

Connectedness

 Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 44: Today, I am grateful for connectedness.

We were designed to be in relationships. Solitary confinement has long been a punishment for prisoners. Friendship, marriage, and being part of any team are examples of connectedness that make the human experience better. 

Growing up with a small town being the nearest town, I remember the sense of connectedness. People knew each other. There was history between people. It was not perfect. Some did not get along, but mostly it was good. 

People took care of each other. If you had a loss, meals showed up. If you were ill, there was help. If you were facing hunger, someone had "extra" to share. It was real and it was good. It was connectedness. 

Nature experiences connectedness too, by God's design. I think about the war on dandelions, but bees and other creatures benefit from them, and they provide a source of food and healing. It is the bees that help pollinate the pumpkins before the harvest and so many other things. 

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." -John Muir

Symbiosis in nature is not uncommon. Peonies need ants to bloom. Cattle can graze on a field, but then sheep can follow and dig deeper for more food. The Nile crocodile allows the Egyptian plover (bird) to clean its teeth and does not eat the bird. Food for the bird and flossing for the crocodile. Nature is connected and so are we.  

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10

Today, I am grateful for connectedness.

The Important

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 43: Today, I am grateful for the important. 

"I want to do important work," I said. "Then smile at people you meet and play with dogs and tuck a blanket around someone who falls asleep." she said. "That's not what I meant I said." "Of course you did," she said. "You just had a smaller idea of important." 

I love this quote. It is so easy to focus on what we cannot do, do not have time to do, or we simply forget that small things are important, too. Whatever our age, health, or season in life... there are small things we can do that qualify as important work. 

When we are tired, it is easy to wish away our current situation, whatever that may be. It is better to count the "important things"  in our current seasons. The decades fly by so fast. 

It is human nature to get a little bored with the mundane. What if focused more on living out the ordinary in our days more like art. Do we see art in our ordinary days? Perhaps it is time to look for it. 

There is art and love in that first cup of tea, coffee, or cacao. It might be in the cup it is offered or the love of the person who prepared it. The scents of our beloved morning beverages are like no other. The hands that prepare it do important work. 

Our love of coffee shops in the USA reflect our delight in someone else preparing the things we could make at home. Familiar faces, a smile, and a kind message written on the cup are worth the time and money to many. It is important work. It is a cup of kindness we can purchase.  

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23

We can pour love into cooking, laundry, and grocery shopping. The tall man at Kroger who helped me reach the too high items I need last weekend paused to ask if there was anything else I needed before he moved on. His smile was friendly and his kindness sincere. To me, it was important work. 

Wiping tears, changing diapers, washing dishes, sharing popcorn, and doing laundry are ordinary things we can do with love. They are important. 

Today, I am grateful for the important. 

Dark & Light

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 42: Today, I am grateful for the dark and the light. 

Og Mandino is one of my forever favorite authors. His writings have influenced my perspectives and approach to trials for nearly 40 years. It is hard to pick one favorite. The world mostly knows him for "The Greatest Salesman in the World." If you have not read it, it has very little to do with sales and much more to do with creating a life well lived. 

"The Mission" and "The Greatest Miracle in the World" are other favorites by the same author. They are quick reads and worth the time. We cannot always choose what happens to us. We can choose how we respond. 

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars." -Og Mandino

I love light. I love white walls, glass, and wide open spaces. I love the stars, too. 

A clear night sky is a tapestry of light as the stars shine bright. For thousands of years, stories have been born as human's watched the stars for entertainment, guidance, and beauty. One particular star was a birth announcement. 

This is one of my favorite passages:

"Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing." -Isaiah 40:26

He calls them by name, and not one is missing. He knows us by name, too. He is the light in our darkness, but when the darkness comes, take time to look at the stars. 

Today, I am grateful for the dark and the light.