To "Bee" At Rest

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 246- Today, I am grateful to be at rest. 

I loved this picture. This sweet little bee looks like he decided to take a break at the end of a long day. "Busy as a bee" is a common phrase. They can travel to so many blooms all in a days work.

"This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." -1 John 3 19-20

It is Labor Day weekend! We celebrate working Americans. A holiday can be a day of rest. Many go camping or boating over the holiday weekend. Enjoy the break, if you get one. For those who don't, thank you for your labor that serves others.

Today, I am grateful to be at rest.

Jennifer

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 245- Today, I am grateful for Jennifer.

Birthdays are a great time to celebrate special people in our lives. 

There are countless reasons I love Jennifer. 

She hasn't killed my brother... yet.(LOL) Actually, she loves him with her whole heart. I am so grateful she said "yes" when Matthew asked for forever. I am grateful they have been granted their first 30 years of marriage. 

I love that she loves my husband(and he loves her back) and it makes being together so much fun... every time. We laugh. We act silly. We tease. And, we divide sorrows when they come.

 We know each other so well... and grace is abundant. We do not wake her before she is ready... and they don't try to hurry Matt and me when we are making new friends. 

She was an amazing aunt to Chase, even before Matthew and Jennifer were married. They arrived in the family about the same time. She spoiled both of the  boys when they were little with genuine love and attention. She is a fierce Mama Bear to her girls. 

She... like my Mama Ina Mae... transplanted to country living. She, like my Mama, cares deeply about her people, and those around her. She has learned to love and care about the land... and how much it rained... and where the rain missed. 

She loves Jesus. That matters. It is the game changer. She acts with a kind and gentle heart.

She loves her family... all of it... the in-laws, the outlaws, and everything in between. She loves her nephews and her nieces and they love her back. 

Jennifer is quick to help others, and rarely asks for help herself. 

She has a generous spirit and a tender heart. For her birthday, she hopes for donations to the local food bank in Clifton. 

I am grateful for her birth and the more than thirty years of best friendship we have shared. She is my real sister. Some can call her "in law" but my heart only recognizes the real... the "in love." 

If you see her around... wish her a "Happy Birthday!" 

Today, I am grateful for Jennifer.

Those Who Tend The Crop

 

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 244- Today, I am grateful for those who tend to the crop. 

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you harvest later." -Og Mandino 

I love this quote by one of my favorite authors. Og Mandino is a classic. His stories always touch more than my heart... they reach my soul.

If you have not read any of Og's books, I recommend "The Greatest Salesman in the World" and "The Greatest Miracle in the World." They can be life changing. I think that "Mission Success" might be my third favorite, but it is like trying to choose a favorite child. I won't. I can't. They are all uniquely special in their own way. 

When I first encountered Og's "12 Scrolls to Success" that are found in "The Greatest Miracle in the World," it was at the perfect time in my life. Married but no children. Finding my way as a young professional and wanting to make a difference in whatever work God led me to do. 

God's ideas and mine differed at times. His way... it turns out... is perfect. Mine way is limited by being human. I need to try to bloom where he plants me... to try my best... to plant now... and be ready to harvest later. 

"Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”-Matthew 13:3-9

We are to tend the crop, care for the struggling, water the dry in spirit, give thanks for the bounty, and don't forget to dance in the rain. 

Today, I am grateful for those who tend to the crop. 

We Were Made For Worship

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 243- Today, I am grateful to be reminded that we were made for worship. 

We were designed for worship... and for relationship. We need both. 

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice," -Psalm 95:6-7

He is our God. We are his people. Worship and relationship.

 Philosophers have observed this behavior from humans for millennia. Money, power, a king, pleasure, celebrities, fashion, pleasure, sports, nature, or God. I am sure we could add to the list.  Those quickly came to mind. 

Worship and relationships... it is where we learn to live life fully engaged. 

"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

We get so excited to see our favorite artists in concert. Do we get equally excited to worship our Lord? Something to ponder. 

Today, I am grateful to be reminded that we were made for worship. 

Bright Blooms

 

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 242- Today, I am grateful for bright blooms. 

These blooms are the children of seeds shared by my lifelong friend, Roxanne. The blooms are bright and beautiful... just like she is. 

She shared seeds she had harvested the year before. I planted them and harvested the seeds in the fall. Then, I planted them this past spring. These zinnias are blooming beautifully. 

This year has not been an easy year for flowers. They grew slowly, but they grew. They bloomed late, but they bloomed. They keep growing... and they keep on blooming. Nature is having a strange year, but good things come to those who are patient. 

We have enjoyed the bright blooms and our hummingbird has enjoyed them, too. 

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”- Isaiah 40:8

These beautiful blooms will fade, dry up, and go to seed. Then, we will harvest the seeds for next year. But, for today, we will celebrate their glory days. 

Today, I am grateful for bright blooms. 

From Scratch Recipes

 

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 241- Today, I am grateful for from scratch recipes. 

Growing up rural, we made big grocery trips only once or twice a month. We purchased milk, bread, and other staples at the local grocery store, but for big grocery shopping... we ran to Kankakee. 

Have I mentioned how much I dislike the taste of white bread that has been frozen? It comes from a childhood of freezer burnt bread. Yuck! The truth is, I have never been hungry or I wouldn't be so opinionated about such things. I

This recipe for Bleu Cheese dressing looks delicious and easy. The hardest thing would be waiting 24 hours before serving it up. Some recipes taste better after the flavors blend together. 

Cooking from scratch makes use of what is in the pantry.

"Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find." -Proverbs 12:27

I know the gift of easy meals, but I don't want to forget the value of "from scratch" recipes.

Today, I am grateful for from scratch recipes. 

The Tenderhearted

 

Daily Gratitude Year Eleven-Day 240- Today, I am grateful for the tenderhearted.

It is okay to cry at commercials and happy endings. Do the animal shelter commercials grab your heart and squeeze it tight? A tender hearts is a gift, even if it comes with some tears along the way. 

This was the passage highlighted in my Bible Study group today:

"Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." -Ephesians 4:32

This passage is an excellent reminder of grace and the way Jesus answered the question, "How shall we pray?" What was the answer? 

"Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." 

A powerful and humbling response. None of us is without sin. Choosing kindness is intentional. Forgiveness is intentional. 

Today, I am grateful for the tenderhearted.