Thanksgiving All Year: 61-70

Well, I just barely got in two posts between "thankful" lists this time... I guess that's better than nothing! This has been a super challenging week for me, one in which I've been forced to let go of control in some areas of my life and give God the reins. It's SO not easy for me to do, and yet I KNOW He can handle things better than I ever could. He is teaching me all over again to TRUST HIM. It is hard but I know it is good.

Today I am thankful...



61. For the opportunity to e-mail my missionary friend Lisa back and forth for a whole day, catching up on more of life than we are normally able to!

my friend Lisa, who is now a missionary in Nicaragua,
up at Donner Pass during a visit to Reno in June of 2006

62. For friends who offer Godly wisdom and encouragement, who also PRAY, both for and with me!!



63. That my friend Bev's dad has seen a miraculous turnaround in his health over the past two weeks -- a total answer to prayer!

 

64. That God has encouraged me twice this past week through Lydia, a newer friend in my life.



65. That my grandmother's surgery last week (yes, I am a week late putting this on my list!) went way better and more quickly than expected... Her doctor said she "looks like a teenager on the inside!"



riding "Thunder Mountain Railroad" with my grandmother at
Disney World in 2009 ~ she can be a teenager on the outside, too!



66. For finding old coupons for free gelato the day before they expire, and for already having planned to spend the night with Ashley that night so I automatically had someone to share them with.

67. That God reveals areas of my life where I have not walked in obedience or trust and, once I have confessed them, forgives me and gives me another chance to learn and grow.

68. For the assurance that "the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16)

69. For encouragement from my quiet times this past week... Specifically for a) the reminder that God has a heart for peace, unity, and reconciliation; b) Julie Ackerman Link's words that "whenever we set out to do something good, even when we're certain that God wants us to do it, we shouldn't be surprised when the situation gets worse before it gets better;" and c) the fact that that sentence ends with the words, "it gets better."



70. For my brother, who for basically as long as I can remember has been a constant source of listening, encouragement, support, and laughs. I am SO blessed.

me & my brudder back in the day

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to plunging into the weekend and seeing what it and the next week -- as well as the next month, since we are already bidding September farewell -- have in store. Here's to a fresh start!



"Hope is Kindled"

I came across this pin on Pinterest yesterday and was amazed to realize I could still recite the Lord of the Rings poem it comes from...

source

All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither
Deep roots are not reached by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be blade that was broken
The crownless again shall be king.

These verses came back to me at a good time. One of the things I LOVE about the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy (I know, I know, it's also a book trilogy. And yes, I have read them! But I have seen the movies many more times than I have read the books. I think if books had soundtracks I might be drawn to read them more frequently, because I really think it's the music that brings a movie to life for me, but alas, I digress...) is the overarching theme of courage and HOPE.

"There is still hope." -Arwen

 "But in the end it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer." -Samwise

 "Hope is kindled." -Gandalf

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." -Galadriel

"A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!" -Aragorn

"I come back to you now at the turn of the tide." -Gandalf

Even when things look the most grim, the characters in this story take courage and keep hope. Occasionally they may have a moment of despair, but they always get back up and keep going. They never give up. That resonates with me SO MUCH. It inspires hope when my own story seems to take a dark turn.

My devotional last Saturday included the following statement:

"Whenever we set out to do something good, even when we're certain that God wants us to do it, we shouldn't be surprised when the situation gets worse before it gets better. This doesn't prove that we're doing the wrong thing; it just reminds us that we need God to accomplish everything."
-Julie Ackerman Link

When we face difficult times, we can either lose heart and despair or we can turn our faces to our heavenly Father and find in Him the courage and hope to keep moving, trusting that all is not lost and the best is yet to come. I'm thankful He can use even something like "The Lord of the Rings" to remind me of that.

Devil's Been Talkin' {Who are YOU listening to?}

Something that has come to my attention multiple times lately is how we as Christians (or, really, as humans, whether we realize it or not) have an enemy who seeks endlessly to put (or keep, if we have not yet found freedom in Christ) us in bondage by making us believe things that are not true. John Eldredge makes this point in his book Waking the Dead, which I re-read on our recent family vacation, and our Perspectives readings for last week covered it as well. In both cases, I was reminded of how crucial it is for us not to make subtle agreements with the lies whispered to us or to allow faulty thinking to creep in and take root, because this gives our enemy a foothold in our hearts and lives.

source

Now this week the point came up for me again as I looked up the lyrics to one of my favorite songs from Needtobreathe's new album "The Reckoning." The song is called "Devil's Been Talkin'" and I think it's very cleverly written... I've posted some of the lyrics below, and lest you read it and think, "What a depressing song! Why in the world would this be one of her favorites?!" let me assure you the gloomy lyrics betray the music, which is upbeat -- even celebratory. I think this in and of itself is clever, because upon hearing the song it sounds wonderfully positive, but upon reading the lyrics the true message is revealed... It's only when you take a deeper look that you realize things aren't what they seem. What I think is so brilliant about this song is that it takes lines you could find and relate to in many other songs and then exposes that these thoughts have a sinister origin from someone who would prefer we not be set free by the truth!

As you read the lyrics below, ask yourself how often similar thoughts pass through your mind, and then ask yourself if you tend to accept them as they come without even realizing it or if you recognize them as lies and reject and correct them with Biblical truth...

The ship is setting off to sea
But it’s sailing without me
I can’t help but feel I’m on
An island born to sink
The devil’s been talkin

We can’t change who we are
We are all alone...

And I can’t move
This hell is cold
The chorus sings
This is home
The devil’s been talkin

Bag of bones and blood red cheeks
Guilty from the words I speak
Say the truth will set you free
But it won’t for me
The devil’s been talkin 

These sorts of ideas -- abandonment, inadequacy, shame -- they aren't coming from our Father. On the contrary, HE tells us...

"I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

There is SO MUCH I could say on this topic, but let me sum it up so that this post remains readable:

Our enemy throws lies at us in all sorts of various forms, whether through intentionally hurtful comments, or "innocent" sarcastic comments made by well-meaning friends, or random thoughts that pass through our minds, or the world's ideas of what is "good," or some other source... But our Father speaks, too, through His Word, through other Believers, and through His Spirit -- words of life and hope and freedom and purpose.

My question is, who are YOU listening to?

Thanksgiving All Year: 51-60

Maybe one of these days I will get more than one blog post up between my "Thanksgiving" lists, but clearly, this wasn't the week for it! Today I am thankful...

51. For the cute sweater I got at Kohl's last week for under $4 after using $20 in Kohl's cash.



52. For Needtobreathe's AWESOME new album that came out on Tuesday ~ and a beautiful afternoon to drive around and listen to it!!!

shot of the Truckee River from my Tuesday afternoon drive



53. For the realization that I had an extra paycheck this month, which means I am not "in the hole" after our recent vacation, as I expected to be...



54. ...and I actually have EXTRA money...

55. ...which allowed me to take my mom out to Olive Garden for lunch on Monday...

56. ...and which means I should be able to afford the new windshield I need and was praying about the very day I realized I had an extra check! Praise God for His provision!



57. That God keeps faithfully carrying me through whatever bouts of discouragement come my way.

58. For a fun dinner at Applebee's with Ashley before choir practice on Wednesday.



59. For an impromptu and laugh-filled sleepover with Jessie last night.



with Jessie & her dino pal last week
after a coffee date at Starbucks =)

60. For an encouraging time with Rebecca over lunch at Hacienda today.

Have a great weekend... Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

Freedom in Surrender (or, "Stop Thinking and Obey!")

There is freedom in surrender. 

This idea has been playing over and over in my head since last night. The thought just sort of came to me out of nowhere and made itself at home in my mind. The freedom part of it doesn't surprise me -- God's been revealing a lot to me over the past couple of weeks about His intentions for us to have freedom in Him. But the surrender part surprises me, because I can't recall hearing anything about this concept recently.

Last week a friend of mine posted a quote by Oswald Chambers on her Facebook status:

Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly... You cannot think a spiritual muddle clear, you have to obey it clear. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will think yourself into a cotton wool.

I'd been wrestling that very morning with whether to continue on a path the Lord had set before me previously. For a long time, this path was crystal clear to me. Metaphorically speaking, the sun was illuminating the world; the crisp air was refreshing me; the birds were creating a cheerful melody for me to enjoy; the leaves on the trees were waving at me as a light breeze ran its fingers through them... There was no doubt in my mind God wanted me to walk in this direction -- I was surrounded by beauty and His hand was evident in everything I saw!

But life isn't always sunny and bright, and sometimes this same path seems to be washed out in the aftermath of a downpour or simply covered in a fog that makes me feel like I'm walking through soup, unable to see what exactly I'm planting my feet on... On days like these, I tend to take every step in hesitation, wondering whether it's wise to keep walking, sometimes feeling more than a little bit lost as I try to navigate this journey.

Last week after I'd been wrestling with whether the Lord really wanted me to continue walking this path -- which He'd clearly said "yes" to only a couple weeks earlier on another stormy day -- I came across the Oswald Chambers quote on Facebook, and suddenly the answer was clear once again:

You cannot think a spiritual muddle clear, you have to obey it clear. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will think yourself into a cotton wool.

Being a melancholy I am prone to over-analyze (or over-think) EVERYTHING. I don't think analysis is a bad thing in and of itself... On the contrary, my tendency to think things through thoroughly before acting has probably kept me out of a lot of trouble throughout my lifetime. But when God has clearly given me direction, my over-thinking can be a hindrance that causes me to question what He has already answered and stand still when I should be moving forward.

I'm learning that obedience requires that I surrender my doubts and fears to Him and simply keep walking, trusting Him to lead the way and take care of me. This is the only way to experience joy and freedom in my walk with Him. And I'd MUCH rather walk in joy and freedom than stay trapped in my own thoughts, afraid to surrender and obey!!

Just because my path sometimes seems unclear or risky doesn't mean it's the wrong path! I have to remind myself, as pointless as wandering through the desert must have seemed to the Israelites, God was leading them to the Promised Land. He is leading me, too. I will trust His leading, I will surrender my fears, I will walk in obedience, and I will enjoy the freedom and joy He offers as I follow Him!