Discipline of thankfulness

"Thankfulness opens the door to My presence...Thankfulness is built on a substructure of trust. When thankful words stick in your throat, you need to check up on your foundation of trust...See how many times you can thank me daily; this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings. It will also cushion the impact of trials when they come against you. Practice my Presence by practicing the discipline of thankfulness." July 24, Jesus Calling

There's a lot to absorb in today's devotional on thankfulness. I shudder to think of the days that I choose to ignore the many gifts from God and instead focus on petty inconveniences or trials.

A prayer of contentment from Proverbs 30 (The Message):

And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things
before I die; don't refuse me—
Banish lies from my lips
and liars from my presence.
Give me enough food to live on,
neither too much nor too little.
If I'm too full, I might get independent,
saying, 'God? Who needs him?'
If I'm poor, I might steal
and dishonor the name of my God."

We are oftentimes so FULL of food, stuff, busyness etc. that we don't perceive our need for Him. Let us remember our great need and turn to Him in thankfulness and trust today.

Pics & Service Project

I enjoyed a great time of talking, singing and praying with two young ladies on Thursday night. My friend Jordan is so gifted on the guitar and has a beautiful voice, but most of all, she is all about Jesus! Here's a quick picture I snuck of Jordan playing. I hope you don't mind Jordan!

Mark your calendars for a service project at the Andover Food Bank on Thursday July 19th, at 6:30. It's also a great way for kids to get involved in serving the community.

Then, a photo that I took of the sunrise with my phone while on a run last week. It made my heart happy.

Midsummer musings

Have you ever looked forward to something so much, enjoyed it, then felt kind of let down that it was over? For me, that happened this week with my sister's visit. It was everything we hoped it would be. Not that we did anything THAT exciting, but we simply enjoyed one another. We drank iced coffee on the porch while we watched the kids play, reveling in the fun they were having with their cousins.

Anyway, since they've left, I've felt exhausted, overcome by allergies, and have just overall tried to recuperate. Thankfully we've had a relaxing weekend, as relaxing as life CAN be with the three little munchkins that is!

It's time to regroup and reconnect with one another and most importantly with what Jesus is saying to us. We need one another, we need Him.

From today's reading: "Be prepared to be blessed bountifully by my Presence, for I am a God of unlimited abundance." When we are weak, spent, and barely hanging on, God wants to fill us up. Come, Father, and fill me up.