Lessons from Brooklyn!

Being thankful is not always my first thought or reaction.  It's way easier to feel slighted or feel discontent.  I have to remind myself everyday to count my blessings..... for which we have many.   My desire is to live a grateful life.  But that doesn't always come easy.  I know that having a grateful heart can be life changing.   I need a daily reminder.  My sweet granddaughter Brooklyn reminds me to be thankful.   She shows me how to be thankful.  She teaches me how to be thankful.   I only need to see her smile and I'm on my way to a grateful heart.   But Brooklyn continues to challenge the depths of my heart.    She grabs my hand and leads me around, she tells me where to go, where to sit, how to love.   She teaches me how to include, because that's what she does.   We sing together at the top of our voices.  She gives the best hugs ever.   She loves me because I'm her Ama.  She runs to the door to welcome me in.  She teaches me without words, how to be thankful.  She speaks and smiles through her heart and into my soul.  I'm so grateful for Brooklyn's life.   Brooklyn has special needs, but she's simply beyond amazing.   God has put an abundance of life into this little girl.  Isn't it just like God to use a little girl to teach us profound things, to change us, to create a thankfulness in our souls that we probably thought we never had the capacity for.   I realize the blessings when my heart is open to His teaching.  My perspective changes, my heart grows and  I'm blessed beyond measure.   Thank you Brooklyn for reminding me.  You are so very special!

Colossians 3:15-16

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

John 10:10

Amplified Bible (AMP) I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows.

Winter time 2014

Ordinary self seeking the one who is able!

As I reflect back on this past year, I remember thinking that maybe God would do something new in my life.   Maybe He would use me in a more unique way.  It doesn't appear from my mind that God has done anything unique in my life.  But I wonder, what was I expecting God to do?   I prayed fervently that God would use my life.  I remember committing myself over and over to His will.  I questioned and doubted my talents and or gifts that He gave me.  I even studied spiritual gifts to hopefully realize once again that I have something for God to use.  I am so thankful for each and every day he gave me.  God was good to our family.  But nothing really seemed to change for me.  I never felt that I had done or tried to do anything great for God.   I would struggle with my purpose and question God's ability.  But I continue to pray, seek and ask God to once again use my life, my gifts, talents this year for His purposes.   He promises that He will.  It just may not look like I think it should.   In October of 2009, we found out our 2 grand babies Jayden and Brooklyn were diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome.  It was a painful and difficult diagnosis that would leave us speechless and paralyzed.  But God would remind me over and over again that He was inviting me to experience His grace.  I would see Him showing up in many different ways during that period of time.    I just didn't know that it would look like Sanfilippo.   I remember questioning what he was doing.  Was he still good?  So even though  I didn't understand, God was still drawing me into His presence.  We are not always going to understand.  Sometimes it won't make any sense at all.  But is God still able to change, move, grow us?  Yes, but it's in His timing.  Again this year my prayer is the same.    I place my ordinary self in the hands of an extraordinary God and who knows what He will do.  It's all up to Him.  Our job is to continue to seek Him with all our heart.
Psalm 9:10

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you

Psalm 14:2

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Psalm 27:8

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Psalm 34:10

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 40:16

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”

Listening to His voice

I tell myself that I need to sit and write something even if it seems like nothing.  I'm just practicing writing.  It's about the practice.  When I was a little girl I began taking piano lessons at about age 8 and in the 3rd grade.  I really hated to practice.  I had to force myself or my mom had to force me to practice. So I practiced and practiced and practiced.  It took a long time to come to the place where I enjoyed my own music.  But it happened, I began to enjoy my playing, so I played and practiced more.  I played in church my whole life almost every week for over 40 years.  But without practice I wouldn't have ever made it very far.  I wonder if practicing piano is anything like practicing writing.  Whether yes or no I will do my best to practice writing this year.  So one of the things I want to do this year is begin a few new habits.  I'm not making resolutions.  I'm so not good at keeping them anyway.  I think we certainly mean well with our plans and our desires to be better in some way.  I often begin a year with great exuberance, but it rarely lasts long and I become discouraged and forget what I intended.  God bless those intentions.....but I don't waste my time anymore.  My hope though for this year is to take time and write whats on my heart.  My desire is to listen to my heart.  Listen to the voice of God.   Allowing him to stir my thoughts and move my heart to respond in a new way.  Asking God to use my words to change my own heart.

Isaiah 28:23

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say

Psalm 84:8

Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.

Fresh Fallen Snow

As we begin 2014 I'm excited to be able to turn a new calendar page.  I love fresh starts.  Not that it really feels fresh, but my desire is to look at the new year with fresh perspective.  It's easy to keep the old ways of thinking, the negative thoughts that continue to spin around in our minds.  It's often that those negative thoughts capture our hearts and spin us out of control.  Maybe for me it's been too much time spent on things that really don't matter or thoughts spent on worrying about what others think.  Really....it's not something you can control anyway. Why waste the time worrying about what people think. I wish I could have back all the time wasted worrying about things that I have no ability to change anyway.  So just like the new fresh fallen snow.....the purity of the winter season, that's the mind set I want to keep and fill my heart as I turn a new calendar page.  I know cold weather brings its share of struggle and frustration.  It's easy to dread the winter, but I really want to make this a winter to be thankful for.   So as we turn the pages lets let the fresh spirit of God pour into us like new fallen snow.  Fresh, white, clean snow!

Psalm 51:7

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

On to the next place!

There is something exciting about turning the pages of a calendar.  It's wonderful to see a fresh open slate.  But I love what Josh said today at church; that a new year is not about starting over,  it's about starting whats next.  As I begin to look into the new year, there's a bit of grieving that takes place.  Realizing that I wasn't able to finish things I started.  Didn't accomplish much of anything really.  Had many failed attempts at trying to be better.  Stopped and started a few times to write but never felt a surge of energy or any real insight.  But whatever that all means, I'm ready to turn the pages of my calendar.  Looking forward to the next year.  Allowing God to take me to the next place He has for me.  The journey of brokenness and blessing continues.  Finding God faithful even when it seemed he was silent.  Being ok as I let go of some things and hanging on to other things.  Asking God to continue to remind me to have a grateful heart.  Remember to be thankful for the blessings of 2013.

Father God, I pray that you will be glorified in our lives this year.  I pray for new direction in 2014.  Grow us in compassion and knowledge of you.  Show us a deeper conviction and strengthen our desires to serve where you place us.  Show us Lord your next place.

Ezekiel 11:19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God

34: 25 -“‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.[a] I will send down showers in season;there will be showers of blessing. 27 The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.

Choose joy and magnify the Lord !

Christmas this year, has been a time of great joy for me.   I know it seems that joy often eludes us this time of year.  With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to forget about the gift.   This gift is amazing.  I don't want to miss the blessings of a joyful heart.  When I allow myself the time to reflect and lean into a joyful heart, I sense God at work.  I'm thankful for the moments of reflection.  I was reading in Luke 1 this morning and I just fell in love with the words that Mary speaks....My soul magnifies the Lord.  How I desire a heart that magnifies the Lord.

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
 and my spirit rejoices in Christ my Savior.
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

I love Mary's words, My soul magnifies the Lord.  I cannot imagine how Mary must have felt when she realized she was chosen to carry the Christ child.   What beautiful words she prayed back to her Father.  The word magnify means - "to speak or act for the glory or honor (of someone or something )  In the greek - it says to esteem highly, to extol, laud and celebrate. to get glory and praise. 

Let our hearts magnify the Lord this Christmas season.  Teach me Lord how to magnify your name as I celebrate your birthday.