Gratitude - Day #12 and #13

Welcome back, mommies! Here are our two verses for November 12 and November 13:

"...Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted." 

Isaiah 12:4

As I read this verse, on our 12th day of gratitude through the Bible, the meaning of it really struck a chord with me. Not only are we asked to thank God for all He has done, but we are called to "make it known among the nations." He wants us to tell others of His greatness, and to also tell others of the things God has done for our world and, specifically, in our personal lives. Sometimes, I forget to give God the credit. At those times, it's good to remember James 1:17...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..."

I think it's so important, as the primary influence in our children's lives, to teach and remind them of this fact! God sends us gifts...both spiritual and earthly. God provides a way out, just like we talked about last time, in difficult situations with no clear solution. As our Creator and Giver, He deserves the credit!

I've really tried to focus on the habit of starting my prayers with a time of thanksgiving, instead of simply moving on to my laundry list of requests. As Caleb grows, I want him to learn how to do this, too. Lately, he is thanking God for whatever is on his mind...last night, it was his friend, Dominic, "big" Thomas, a spoon, the windows, the "scary" light outside, and his Deeda (Grandma). I can only imagine the smile on our heavenly Father's face as He listens to the sweet prayers of innocent children! We will never run out of things to be thankful for (our children's prayers are the perfect reminder of that fact!), and a great witness of God's love to others is to tell of the amazing things He has done in our lives. What if we personally spent more time sharing about God's awesome gifts to us instead of telling others how people should and should not act, according to scripture? What if our children witnessed us blessing God in our daily conversations with others, instead of complaining about what we don't have, or passing judgement on the ungodly behaviors of others? Remember, I never write about something that I'm not working on myself! Let's make a commitment today. Let's be a sweet example to our children of pointing out all the good things God has done for us, and given to us. Then, let's find a way to bring it up in conversation with others, not to brag about what we've done, but to bring praise to the Father. 

I so love this journey that we are on through November. Let's move on to verse #13...

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." 

2 Corinthians 2:14

Have you ever wondered if, as we operate in our calling(s), there is a triumphant procession leading us and protecting us in the spiritual realm? As believers in His Word, we can be sure that there is all kinds of activity going on around us, but it's just unseen to us in our human state. Imagine how God and His angels celebrate triumphantly as we share the love of Christ with our children, as we spend time fellowshipping with and ministering to other women, as we show love and kindness to strangers, as we choose to submit to our husbands, as we sacrificially say "no" to things of this world and instead say "yes" to things of Him. If you're like me, we tend to spend a large portion of our time learning what it means to become more like Christ. While that is what we are called to do, we are also called to recognize God's love, pride, and celebration of us when we are already showing the behaviors and doing the activities that bring glory to Him. He cheers for us! He instructs His angels to surround and lead us as we share what we know of Him to be true. Today, let's be grateful in the heavenly affirmation that He lovingly showers us with as women, as wives, as daughters, and especially as mothers...which I believe is one of the most highly-esteemed jobs in His sight.

Finally, I found this picture on a friend's Facebook page. Let it encourage you today!

Gratitude - Days #8, #9, #10, and #11

Welcome to a new week! Enjoy meditating on these four scriptures of gratefulness, for November 8-11.

 "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." 

Ephesians 1:16

It is so important to stop and show gratitude for the many people whom God has brought into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. As we remember to be thankful, we should also remember to pray for that person/those people. I am thankful for my family, my friends, my acquaintances, and for the many of you who read this blog! There have been days when I have questioned whether or not I am doing the right thing with starting and continuing this blog. Whenever I get discouraged, receive a negative comment, feel like it's taking time that could be spent on more pressing matters, or simply feel empty of wisdom from Him, I ask God to send me some encouragement if he wants me to keep going. Immediately, like within the day, I will receive a text, a comment, or a story of how something I put out there has blessed the life of another mommy. He is so faithful to give us what we need. You all are so faithful to keep reading and to encourage me as I continue on my journey. I do give thanks for you, and I pray over each post that it may be a blessing to any woman who reads it. Today, let's all remember to continuously give thanks and remember to pray for those who are special to us.

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs (and Christmas music!). Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Ephesians 5:19-20 ("Christmas music" added!)

I will be honest that I got quite excited when I found Christmas music on the radio this weekend. I can't say the same for my mom and husband, as they both think that it's too soon, but if it were up to me, I would have my Pandora Christmas station going all throughout the year! It just makes my heart smile. I love how the Lord gives us those little kisses that speak individually to our own hearts. No, not everyone can handle "Silent Night" at the beginning of November, but He knows that my heart leaps for joy at those songs. Because of my background in music education, I feel that it is one of the main ways that my heavenly Father connects with me. So, whether it be Christmas music, or any other type of music, my heart smiles at sending praises back His way. I hope to instill the same love for music in the hearts of our sons. Unfortunately...Caleb would prefer that I not sing to him these days...ah, the toddler moods :-)

Oh, how God loves to be praised. And, it is my own thought, that he especially loves the praise of sweet, innocent, children's voices. Developing a discipline and love of praise in our homes is one of the best ways to teach our children how to acknowledge the Lord and thank Him for all He has done. We don't need to have the best voices in the world! We simply need to go all out in praising the One who brings all good things into our lives.

Today, let's enjoy some time of singing (unashamedly!) praise songs to our Father. Maybe it means Christmas music in the car, a worship CD on the stereo during dinner, or soft praise music played during nap time for our little one.

And when you're singing Christmas music with your children at the beginning of November, at the top of your lungs...remember, that it's okay because:

And finally, our verses for November 10 and November 11:

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." 

Psalm 107:8-9

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron." 

Psalm 107:15-16

I love the fact that God's love cannot fail. It simply can't. It's not in His nature. No matter what we do, He will never stop loving us. His love is unfailing! He loves providing us with physical food and drink, and on a deeper level, He loves when we willingly receive His spiritual meat and milk! Thank Him for both! He also loves to break down barriers for us...both in the natural and the spiritual realm. Ever have a situation where it seems like the solution will never come, the direction will never be revealed, or there simply is no way out? Then, like a breath of fresh air, the problem resolves. That is God breaking down the gates of bronze and cutting through the bars of iron! What about spiritually? We were all lost at one point, and He broke through our hardened hearts and showed His glorious love to each one of us. Maybe you have had the privilege of seeing it happen with someone else...your husband, your child, or even a parent? God loves to problem-solve, but we must allow Him to do it in our lives! Today, let's all thank Him for fulfilling our basic needs and also for breaking down the barriers that need to be destroyed in our lives. His love is unfailing! Where we fail on a daily basis, He is faithful to never fail. For that, I am grateful!

Gratitude - Days #5, #6, and #7

Welcome back! We're playing a bit of catch up today, so enjoy meditating on the following three scriptures about gratitude. Here is our verse for November 5:

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:15-17

We need to be thankful for the gift of peace that is freely given to us, we need to actively praise God through His Word and worship to experience that peace, and we need to be grateful for Jesus, God's own son, at all times in order to feel this kind of peace. Sometimes, I forget that peace can be achieved all the time. Peace isn't a feeling dependent on our circumstances, but actually a chosen way to live given freely to us by our Father. No matter what our day may look like, we are called to live a life of peace and to ensure that an environment of peace is created around our family. It's there to take, we must decide to accept it!

One way to receive that gift of peace daily is to worship regularly! An interesting story, if you let me digress for a bit...I'm really into politics. It isn't who I am, but I enjoy keeping up with the news, talk radio, and watching the highs and lows of our nation attempting to govern itself. Much to my husband's dismay (not his cup of tea), I've been listening to a lot of talk radio while we do errands. At the same time, our son has decided that he does not like to be strapped into the car seat anymore. We are talking all out fits in the back seat! Amazingly...almost all of the time...when I put on the Christian radio station, he calms down. I watch him in the rear view mirror, gathering himself, wiping his tears, and calmly looking out the window. This example is just one in a hundred of how the words of praise to our Father can completely calm a situation and bring peace to all who hear. Sometimes, I go to the praise music channel and play it when he just needs to come down a few notches at home. If you aren't much of the singing type, simply hearing the words of praise is enough to usher peace into a situation. Try it. It's so cool! And, I suggest limiting the talk radio listening time. Caleb has talking about "Obamacare" the other day...no joke :-)

Finally, giving thanks for God and for His Son will allow us to walk into peace, doors wide open and welcoming. Remembering that peace is a gift given through the death and resurrection of Jesus is the best way to experience the calm, and then to show our gratefulness for it.

I pray this is a blessing for each of you today. I also pray that you are enjoying this season of gratitude! On to our next verse for November 6...

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may leave peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

1 Timothy 2:1-2

I am exceedingly grateful for the freedom we have to choose our leaders. I see that women from all over the world are reading this blog, and I imagine that some of you live in places where this right is not (yet!) yours. Therefore, it saddens me when people of this great country do not take full advantage of the opportunity to vote. Men and women have fought, and even died, over the years to ensure that the gift to make our voices heard remains protected. Especially as women, we need to celebrate the freedom to speak our minds, stand up for our values, and show strong examples of patriotic citizenship to our children. While freedom in Christ is free due to His blood shed on the cross, freedom in America is free due to the sacrifices of many. Now...what if you are less than pleased with the people leading us, and the decisions being made that directly affect our daily lives?

Jesus is, and always will be, our ultimate authority regardless of who occupies any of the political offices. And because we are Christ followers and respect the living Word of God, we live by its commands. Look above at the verse on gratitude that I chose today. God asks us to show thanksgiving for kings (i.e. the President) and all those in authority. We don't have to agree with him, we don't even have to like him, but we do need to show our gratitude for the simple fact that we live in a society where he is in charge with established order, fair laws, and protected freedoms. I look at it as showing gratefulness for the office and government ordained by God, many years ago, for this great country. Showing respect for our President sets a fantastic example for our children to learn to respect all people who are/will be in authority over them, including God. We won't always agree with those in authority (think about how little your toddler may agree with you on a daily basis!), but teaching the value of respecting authority is a lifelong tool which our children will be blessed to have.

Finally, our verse for November 7...

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise Your glorious name."

1 Chronicles 29:13

This idea is from nearly a year ago, but I have enjoyed using it with our son as we have started into our "school" routine in the afternoons. Last year, I posted a Pinterest idea about using the ABC's of scripture to decorate our play room. I took it a step further by attaching an ABC flash card to each paper, so that my son will become familiar with letters and the alphabet order. (See below for the verses that I used). My cards look like this:

Instead of simply telling you about this idea, I thought I would share the verses that I chose to use for this project. My goal in searching for scripture was the following:

• a scripture for each letter
• scripture that is easily applicable to the life of a child
• scripture that can be easily memorized
• a personal desire for each of these lessons to be instilled in our children (for instance, I have a strong background in music, so my husband and I have a hope to develop the passion for praise in our children...hence, the letter "S". We also feel it is important to take time to rest, therefore I chose a verse about the Sabbath for the letter "R.")

I compiled my list from a variety of sources. I used blogs (a great resource is The Princess and the Jedi), Google searches, a hand out from bible study, and my own personal Bible knowledge. It's colorful, cute, and Godly. The only thing that would make it better is glitter. Unfortunately, glitter and boys don't mix in our house, per my husband :-)

Feel free to use, to share, and to make this list your own. I pray that it can be useful to you as you raise your children to be thankful for the Word of God as they grow. Today, I am thankful for His Word. What a powerful helper in the busyness and difficulties of parenting! What do you need to give God thanks for today? A burst of creativity to help with parenting? A fantastic Pinterest idea to incorporate God's Word into your daily life? An extra long nap by your little ones to give you some extra rejuvenation time? Whatever it is, let's be sure to always give Him thanks, and to praise His glorious name!

A - "As for God, His way is perfect." 

Psalm 18:30

B - "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." 

Acts 16:31

C - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." 

Ephesians 6:1

D - "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." 

Psalm 37:4
E - "Every good and perfect gift is from above." 

James 1:17

F - "For nothing is impossible with God." 

Luke 1:37

G - "Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life." 

Psalm 23:6

H - "Honor your father and mother." 

Exodus 20:12

I - "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind."

 Jeremiah 32:27

J - Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." 

Matthew 19:14

K - "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." 

Psalm 34:13

L - "Love is patient, love is kind." 

1 Corinthians 13:4

M - "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." 

Psalm 100:1

N - "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 

Hebrews 13:5

O - "Obey the Lord your God and follow His commands." 

Deuteronomy 27:10

P - "Pray continually." 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Q - "Quench not the Spirit." 

1 Thessalonians 5:19

R - "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." 

Exodus 20:8

S - "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." 

Ephesians 5:19

T - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." 

Proverbs 3:5

U - "Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it." 

Proverbs 16:22

V - "Victory rests with the Lord." 

Proverbs 21:31

W - "When I am afraid, I will trust in You." 

Psalm 56:3

X - "Let us eXamine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord."  

Lamentations 3:40

Y - "You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 

1 Corinthians 12:27

Z - "Never be lacking in Zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." 

 Romans 12:11

Gratitude - Day #4

This month, we're journeying through the Bible, looking for verses that address gratitude. For November 4...

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His love endures forever...

Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever."

Psalm 136:1-3, 26

While it is so important to express our gratitude for the many gifts which God gives to us out of pure love, we must also recognize the importance of showing our gratefulness for who He is. In His Godly nature, He is good, he is God of gods, He is Lord of lords, and He is the God of heaven. 

It isn't healthy to dwell in the fear of our blessings being taken from us, but if we were to tragically lose our home, our belongings, or even our husband or children, we need to be confident enough in who our God is to be able to get through the loss, and to love Him anyway. Regardless of what will happen in our lives as women, as wives, and as mothers, His love will endure forever. He is who He is regardless of our circumstances, and learning to express this gratitude to Him and for Him on a daily basis can only strengthen our love for Him.

I pray that this will be a revelation for you today, as it was for me. Let's keep being thankful for our many earthly blessings, but let's also be thankful to our Father, simply because He is who He is. Be blessed, mommies!

Gratitude - Day #3

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

For so many years, I wondered what God's will could be for my life. In my very first post, I shared the frustration I experienced over not knowing the clear and direct plan for my "job" or "role" in the Kingdom. As I've grown closer to Him, specifically over the past few years, I feel like there are actually two parts to the will that God has for each of our lives. There is His will for our part in the Kingdom, otherwise known as our calling. Then, there is the will that He has for every Christ-follower. The way He asks us to live, to behave, and to show His love to others so that they may come to know Him. This verse showcases the latter understanding of God's will. He desires for all of us, because we believe in God and His Son, Jesus, to always be joyful, pray constantly, and to give thanks in all circumstances. Not just on the great days, but on the bad days, too! 

No matter what kind of day this might be for you in the realm of motherhood, let's all choose to be joyful, to pray, and to give thanks that we get to be followers of Christ. Be blessed, mommies!