In All That I Have Found

Autumn in my favorite time of year.

Brilliant Weather.
Flannel.
Family gatherings.
Festive Foods.

Something about this season is cozy and perfectly familiar.

This week I celebrated Thanksgiving early.
There was no turkey.
No cornucopia of plastic fruits.

But many thanks.

What?
YES.

I had my own week of thanksgiving with the Lord.

To say that I felt wrapped in the warmth of my Jesus is a start.

I felt His goodness in the chilly mornings.
His beauty was a gift with changing leaves.
His joy in the laughter of people around me.
His nearness to my heart was intoxicating.
Christ in Me- Teaching and loving me.

Unbelievable.

I found myself incredibly excited about things that I often overlook and hardly recognize.

At one point I stopped and said to myself...
This is too good to be true.
It was uncomfortable.

God is, in a way, too close.
He is in my business.
He presence effecting me personally. consistently.
And I LOVE it.

I have been praying for a heart that savors Jesus.

A heart that is stilled at the foot of the cross and focused on Christ.

(How often do we sit down and say "Thank you")

All of my life-I grew up in church singing..

"Thank you for loving and setting me free. Thank you for giving your life just for me. Yes, I thank you. Jesus, I thank you"

But did I sing these words as a redeemed Child of God?

Do I live with this heart of Thanksgiving?

This week I could not help thanking Christ for loving me.
For setting me free.
For giving up His life so that I may live.

He died so that I may live.

....Let's get personal.....

How often do we cry watching movies or reading books and sobbing over a character who has given their life for the sake of another?

All the time.
Sobbing. Heart Broken. Genuinely sad.

YET- we go days- weeks- years
without giving praise and expressing thanksgiving to Christ-
who made Himself nothing so that we may have life.

That is a hard fact to admit.
My pride tries to convince me otherwise.

But the truth is that I do not say thank you enough.

I know this sounds simple-
and perhaps it is just that.

But there is no doubt that many of us, especially myself,
could benefit from adding an intentional time of thanksgiving in our daily routine.

The Lord is doing a number on my heart-
and last week I found myself sobbing in my bed from all of the horrors that are in this world- and the Lord has chosen to spare me from suffering them.

Why not me?
Why them?

I do not know.

But-thanks be to God.

He deserves my affection.

He deserves my adoration.

He deserves "Thank you"

In all that I have found- God is faithful, good and worthy to be praised.

Will you join me in celebrating Thanksgiving early?
And all the time?

Our hearts shall be overjoyed with thanks-
to the point where this thanks becomes a part of our lives-
our lifestyle of worship.

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"
Psalm 30:11-12

He is worthy.

-Many Blessings



Some ideas to make it real....

Ways to express Thanksgiving personally:

*Journal of Thanks
There is nothing sweeter than flipping page after page of documented answers to prayer and testimonies of God's faithfulness. I cherish my journals. My heart is on the lines of the pages.

*Verbal Praise
My favorite time to talk with the Lord is in my car.
There are few moments that are sweeter than my verbally communicating to the Lord
"Thank you, Jesus for reconciliation. Thank you, Jesus for forgiveness"


Ways to express Thanksgiving together:


*Thanks Board
I know many families who have a board of "prayers" and "lessons" in their homes.
How about a public board of thanks?

*Writing Thanks
Personally- The Lord has used so many people to reveal Himself to me. What a joy it would be to let these people know that they were a part of God's work in my heart