Taking time to be thankful

Gratitude makes us healthier and happier, according to recent studies. Are you feeling good, after setting yesterday aside to give thanks for all our blessings?

This year, I'm grateful for:

• you the reader. How you encourage me with your comments and interactions all year long!
• our little grandson, born healthy 2 days ago
• family who loves us
• friends who nurture us
• safe shelter, plenty of food, and warm clothing
• God, who generously pours out blessing upon blessing, entrusts us with free will (the ability to make choices that help or hurt others), and heals our hearts when our choices - and those of others - do harm.

We don't take any of these gifts for granted.

What made you especially thankful this year?

Anonymous quote

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*Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

*Therefore I am surely going to teach them, this time I am going to teach them my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord. Jeremiah 16:21

*Through Jesus Christ we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name. Romans 1:5 ESV

Do not claim to be wiser than you are. Romans 12:16 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Heaven's Teacher, guide us as we constantly seek your truth. Open our minds to the glory, majesty, power, and peace of your everlasting love and give us the strength to bring your good news to the world.

Knowing Father, help us to feel the glory of your truth and make it a part of the road we travel. Grant each of us wisdom and hope as we move through our days, sharing your words and deeds along the way. Amen.

A dead bunny morning

I come in after a morning meeting to find a prone rabbit and a doll stroller in the narrowed hallway. I remember those days with our little kids: it's hard to keep track of them, never mind their wandering toys. I step over and go upstairs to my office = the privilege of being a grandma, not the mama.

Our kids have moved in so our (and their) boxes, cleaning supplies, picture frames, and furniture line up in unexpected places, waiting for landing spots. It's complicated when you're overlapping households.

W and I have had a great week of meeting people, mentoring and being mentored, writing and teaching.

So! grateful.

One of our most welcome accomplishments is resolving an administrative glitch. W finally located the email address that contains notifications of support and AG mission updates. W has repeatedly written from his address, "Help!" but the responses (and other communications) have gone to our official email ... in my name, not his. Administratively, I'm the "primary team member" and he's "the spouse." Funny, no?

Our apologies to those who have wondered what's the matter with us! Several mentioned, "We haven't heard from you. Did you get our contribution? We haven't received an acknowledgement!" Eeek.

We've know now where your acknowledgements and notes are reported. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We treasure your partnership and your encouragement. Those thank-yous will be in the mail tomorrow.

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**Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you. Zephaniah 3:14-15 NEV

*In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

*Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV

*Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 NEV

Moravian Prayer: Our Savior, you have cleared our names in God's court. Grant that we will always remember your sacrifice for us. May we always live to serve you and your righteousness here on earth. Amen.

Lent Day 2: Thankful for turbulence

Turbulence. That's how my little plane feels this morning: as though I'm shooting through waves of air I can only feel, not see.

Today I am grateful for small trials. Living in North America, we can truly say our trials are small. We can survive our financial crises, health issues, and relationship challenges with God's help. Our light and momentary sufferings are nothing in light of eternity.

When I read about Youseff, the Christian pastor whom Iran condemned to death this week, I am grateful for freedom to worship.

When I hear about Christians shot and hacked to death by Muslims in Africa, I am thankful for a safe neighborhood.

When I look at my daughter, racked with arthritis but strong in heart, I appreciate my own health and pain-free waking and sleeping.

As I prepare breakfast, I think of those hungering to death and savor each bite of God's abundance.

As I read about the life of Christ, I consider the blessings of his life and death applied to debtors like me.

Today, I am thankful for small trials and the turbulence that reminds me to pray for those whose storms sweep them into the raging sea.

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*But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I don't even know; they slander me constantly. They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me.

How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions! Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. Don't let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat. Don't let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow. They don't talk of peace; they plot against innocent people who mind their own business. They shout, 'Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it!'

O LORD, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord. Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord. Declare me not guilty, O LORD my God, for you give justice. Don't let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles. Don't let them say, 'Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive!' Psalm 35:15–25 NLT

*Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed. Isaiah 54:4

*When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:11

*Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11  NIV

Moravian prayer: Merciful Father, we thank you for always being with us. We are thankful for the power to see clearly the task set before us provided by the Holy Spirit who dwells within our hearts. Amen.

Count 1000 ways

Martha handed me a wonderful book, one thousand gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, for my birthday in March. Every few days, I read more of it. The poetry swings me into the pages and leaves me gasping with wonder. The power and enthusiasm, the bold life and creativity wrap around me. I can't read more than a few pages before I am engulfed and have to surface for blank air.

Some people's words help, encourage, and affirm. The language of others wounds and destroys. But this poet unfolds pleasure and pain, beauty and wonder using ordinary words, words used in conversation or correspondence.

After recognizing her negativity, Ann Voskamp began to write 1000 phrases of gratefulness. It was transforming. Liberating. Joyful. Her written gratitude unwound the strangulation of everyday blues, freeing her to live again.

"What could I lose," I asked myself as I felt like I was unraveling in the darkness of a seemingly endless grey Seattle spring?

I began to write my own 1000 ways, charting: things that made my heart sing; people who were life-givers; things that made me grateful. Sometimes, even, I just wrote down things that made me feel ok with not being dead and gone. (Yes, some days were that bad.)

Some mornings I couldn't wait to touch the pieces of the day and 25 items flowed freely: "glorious sunshine!," "birds chirping outside my window," "crisp white cotton duvet and pillowcases," or "soft breath flowing between W and me in the waking dawn." Some evenings I merely recorded 25 measures of relief for reaching the end of the day: "glad for the inky nightfall," "still breathing after the meeting," or "had to leave the party early, but am still barely intact."

Words. Words. Words. They bring life or death, says scripture.

How grateful I am for Psalms that affirm that God is good in this life. That people can be kind and generous. That our future and our hope is in God not our feelings. That circumstances change and better days come. That the cloud lifts and joy comes in the morning.

Today the sun streams in the office window, the dogs and I have walked, the fish swim in a cleaned aquarium, our daughter sleeps late, my husband tiles the new shower, the day stretches warm and welcoming into noon and beyond. (19 more, and I'm done for the day.) Thank God for Martha and her gift! (18 more...)

Try it! Write 25 things for which you are grateful, up to 1000 ways. See if deliberate, ongoing thankfulness transforms you and brings a smile to your face, as it does to mine.

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*The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2 NIV