Being Grateful

Today I wanted to talk about blessings and gratefulness, which I suppose go hand in hand.  It is so imperative to remember the many blessings in your life, because they remind you of all the Lord has brought you through.  This is especially important when struggles come your way. 

At times, life seems to be going according to plan, but then you hit a road block.  Something that you never expected to be in the way is suddenly staring straight at you, and many times these events can be quite scary. 

I experienced something like this recently in my own life--a road block.  An event that I was not prepared for nor did I want to pursue.  Yet as with many incidents that come up in life, sometimes you just have to press on.  So that is exactly what I did. 

Amazingly, I am able to ask the Lord for His help in situations like these.  Otherwise, I don't know how I would endure or conquer the problem.  It is so humbling to know that the Lord is with me no matter the situation, and I can ask for His help at any moment.

I am so grateful that my road block turned out to be fine, and I know that this blessing of good news came directly from the Lord.  What would I do without the Lord's help and presence in my life when things get rocky?  I cannot even fathom that thought.  No matter what I have done, the Lord has and always will be with me. 

As usual, I am reminded of a song.  This one is by by Phillips, Craig, and Dean.  Here is the chorus to their song When God Ran:   

He (God) ran to me,
He took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest,
Said "My son's come home again!"
Lifted my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said
"Son, do you know I still love You?"
He caught me By surprise, When God ran...

Have you ever found yourself in difficult situations where you just didn't know where to turn?  Situations that you never expected to find yourself in?  Remember, the Lord is always there for you.  All you have to do is ask for His help.  Run to Him in times of trouble--Psalm 18:6.

Living in the Moment

Do you ever take things for granted?  I know that I have on numerous occasions.  In fact, I am guilty of taking things for granted quite recently, and I am always puzzled by how easily it is to fall into this trap.  As I long for other parts of my life to come together, there are current blessings in my life, yet there are so many times I forget what I have been given.

Why can't I ever seem to relax and just live in the moment?  Is there something about our society that pushes us harder and faster into the future, so that we are never ever truly satisfied?  While it is important to work hard in order to succeed in life, it is also important the focus on what we do have in the present.

Pausing to consider this comes not only from my own life experiences but also from the wisdom of others.  Last night I was flipping through the channels on TV, and I came across a program on the weather channel.  It caught my eye because even though it was about the devastation of tornadoes, men and women were sharing their survivor stories.

It was incredible to hear individuals recount their horrifying experience during a time when they believed they were going to die.  Places that people went for cover during the storm and how amazing it was that they even made it through.  Scientific demonstrations were done later, as they recreated these hiding places, showing how miraculous their survival truly was.  One moment everything was fine, yet within seconds life changed.

Life does that too.  Everything seems to be going according to plan, but then something happens that alters where you initially wanted to go.  Suddenly, your plan dissipates into thin air, and you find yourself scrambling to pick up the pieces.  Fortunately, God is always there to help you put things back together, and somehow the end result is better than you ever imagined.  Even when things don't go according to plan, God makes it right in His own timing.

So how does all of this relate to taking things for granted?  Well, as human beings we tend to get rather impatient, because we want events in our lives to transpire according to plan rather quickly.  Yet, our timetable is usually not God's timetable.  So, we must remember to enjoy the blessings He has given us, and focus on that instead of always wanting to know what will happen in the future.

I find that when I can live in the moment, I am more happy, and it becomes easier to enjoy what the Lord has given to me now.  I am also reminded again to not take anything for granted, because I don't want to miss a single moment of my present blessings.   

 

God Bless America!! Happy 4th of July!!

Quote for the Day

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it.  It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become."

                                                                                         ~C.S. Lewis~

Happy Father's Day!!

Amazing Acts of Kindness

So lately, I have been feeling super nostalgic.  Do any of you every feel that way?  At times, you find yourself pondering memories from your childhood, or thinking about friends you once knew.  And you wonder what they are up to, and if life turned out the they wanted it to.  I have known so many people through the years--too many to keep up with (even though I really wish I could)--and I often think about random people from time to time.  These are the moments I take the time to pray for these individuals, because why else would I be thinking about them?  God must be bringing them to my mind for some reason.

And then I also consider--I wonder if other people are randomly thinking about me?  I know the answer to this is yes, because I have had people tell me so.  How amazing it is to leave that kind of mark on someone's life--that years down the road someone is thinking of and remembering you.  How imperative it is that we strive to leave that kind of impression on others.

All of this said, there are times that I do get discouraged or frustrated in my life, and I just do not feel like leaving that healthy impression.  Yet, the kindness of others reminds me to reevaluate this type of thinking.

A friend of mine from college moved states away after graduation, and so we don't see each other at present, nor do we get to talk much.  However, I had a few things I wanted to send her, and in turn she sent me a few items.  I was not expecting anything from her, and that is not why I sent her something.  But the gifts she sent me were priceless, because they reminded me of compassion.  When you are discouraged--and then someone sends you a ray of sunshine--it just completely turns your world around.  Immediately, I felt energized and ready to pass this gift of compassion on to someone else.

I was reminded of how important it is to continue to show love and grace to others--no matter how I may be feeling on a particular day--because others have given those precious gifts to me.

Unfortunately, sometimes these thoughtful events can be quite rare in a person's life, but they are so lovely and inspiring when they do happen!

So go and show compassion to someone today.  The long term benefits are amazing!

 

Laugher for the Day

As writers, we all understand the pains of writer's block.  So here are few laughs to enjoy which surround that very topic. Have a great day!