UNPAUSE

 I keep track of my daily walking with my Apple Watch.  My daily walks are divided into segments dictated by Hero's needs (3-4 walks a day- very short he's old and having back issues) , walking with my neighbor, and finishing my mileage (we all know the number needs to end with segments of a quarter of a mile).  After each segment I pause the counter until the the next segment begins.  At the end of the day I have the complete day's mileage when in walking mode.  I also have the total number of steps on my Apple Watch.  Finding myself hitting the pause and unpause button throughout the day breaks up my day into periods of varying activities.  Where am I going with all of this?  Obviously I have hit the blog pause button and for many reasons not unpaused and started again.  I could list the litany of reasons, but surely we all understand how life can be interrupted for many varied reasons.  I will not bore you with the details.  

Lately I have had something on my mind a great deal, and it occurred to me this morning, perhaps I should share with you.  My prayer life runs the cycle from intense--highly personal to short and practiced.  One of the methods of shaping my communication with God is those acronyms meant to frame our prayer time.  A C T S was the first acronym I studied and seems to be the one I use most frequently.  At times I become entrenched in the "S" of this formula.  So many--so many needs--so much sorrow--so many hurt and in pain-- my world seems filled with those in need of prayer---all for good reason and purpose and my privilege to take before the throne.  

A few weeks ago it began to occur to me the every growing passion to finish well and the dwindling time to make this happen are also accompanied by a long life filled with pauses and unpauses.  The fact of the matter is the sands of my time here are dwindling at a remarkable speed.  It has become an intense time of reflection on my life and a honest evaluation of what has been.  What has been my take-away?

With this reflection, my prayer acronym has now changed with an intense concentration of the acronym T.  My prayers now begin with thanking God for a long and good life.  I have gone well beyond those appointed years in The Word and I am living on the extension God has granted.  All of us have experienced ups and downs in life, but I am concentrating on remembering all the wonderful blessings God has bestowed on me knowing they all came from His abundant grace.  He is faithfully provided my needs---not always my wants---but always my needs.  I am looking at the whole---not at those prayers He answered with "No" or even seemed to ignore.  Counting on the fact that ALL was for my good ---I know He always knows my needs far better than I.  So my prayers these days are filled with gratitude for the good and bad.  Often I tell you that my greatest suffering has produced my greatest growth spiritually.  He loves me so much He allows me to suffer so that I might know Him more intimately.  His abiding presence is highlighted over each and every decade of my long life and I am so thankful He loves me so much that He is always present and His tender care is evident throughout the years.

So for today, the blog was unpaused, to share this with you.  We do not know what tomorrow holds, and pause may once again begin, but this was too important to not share.  When reflecting---I ask you to weigh not only the good---but remember the benefits of the bad.  Remember Whose presence and strength carried you through the bad.  Remember who God is---and that He is good---in all things.  AND BE THANKFUL!

"Giving thanks always

and for everything

to God the Father

in the name of 

our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 5:20

GRACIOUS IN RECEIVING

 I usually scroll through the local Buy, Sell & Trade group when I look at the Book of Face.  A recent post intrigued me when it caught my attention when I read the title---"DIVORCE BARGAIN".  A daughter was trying to sell a lovely garden table and chair set with this explanation.  "My parents are downsizing to a townhome and will not have room for this.  When my Dad gave it to my mom for their Anniversary it almost caused a divorce since this was NOT what she had in mind as "the perfect gift".  OH YEAH---the wheels began grinding!

I am fairly certain I have been guilty in the past of not receiving a gift  with graciousness and gratitude.  We somehow get it in our head what we would like as a gift, but instead of voicing that desire--we expect our loved ones to read our minds.  AND then when the day arrives and the gift they lovingly spent time and energy getting for us is not what we had in mind--we are disappointed.  Instead of being gracious and receiving the gift with a smile and thank you--we are crestfallen and dejected---perhaps even mad.  We set ourselves up for disappointment when we failed to make our desires known, and we are mad at those who failed to read our mind.  I am ashamed to admit---before God convicted me---I was guilty at times.   Today--I voice my desires to family when gift time rolls around.  I am WAY over wanting stuff--but love to get updated Grand photos--or some small something that when I look at it I will be reminded of the giver.  Some are really fun to shop for and some (probably including me) are a chore.  TRULY it is the thought---not so much the gift that counts.  In this busy life---if someone took the time to remember me--I am delighted.

Perhaps this is a good reflection on our lack of gracious gratitude to all God has provided.  Do we get  in our head what we deserve and become disappointed when God seems to ignore our hints?  Are we thankful---are we aware of the extravagant abundance we are surrounded by?  Sadly, we forget if God gave us what we deserve--we would be on the short end.  Can we have an attitude change and in all things be grateful?  Questions to ponder today--questions to ponder.

"In everything give thanks;

for this is God's will for you

in Christ Jesus."

I Thessalonians 5:18

SUMMER SESSION #20- IGNORING THE WEEDS

 It has been ONE MORE HOT summer here in the deep South.  My poor yard and plants have suffered from the extreme heat and lack of rainfall.  I have a sprinkler system, but nothing waters your yard like a shower from Heaven.  We come to expect this every year, but this year has been particularly punishing.  No rain--heat warnings day after day---it's been a corker!

While the plants I bought $$ are struggling to survive, the weeds are producing a great crop.  It requires almost daily pulling to keep them at bay.  They come up first every year, grow most prolific without much water and in spite of the sun and cling tightly to their place when yanked upon.  The first things I see when I look at my flower beds are those pesky weeds.  My eyes drift right over the beautiful blooms and plants and zoom in on the unwanted weeds.  Interesting!

What is it about us that we look past the grandeur, beauty, and blessings all around us and instead focus on the mistakes, unwanted, ugly, invasive undesired?  We intently gaze upon that which we do not consider desirable and forget to gaze upon all the wonder before our eyes.  

As I reflected upon this, I wondered if I do the same thing when looking back over the garden of my life.  Do I focus on the weedy and ugly or do I instead remember the plants that have bloomed and created great beauty?  Take a moment and reflect, Friends.  When you are remembering--what memories come to the surface?

"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 5:20

BECAUSE

November has brought the annual chatter on Facebook about Thirty Days of Thankfulness.  A WONDERFUL CONCEPT----we should NEVER forget all our blessings and we should live in a perpetual state of Thanksgiving.   I hope we all look around us moment by moment and consider all that we have been lavishly blessed with--and NOT just material possessions, NOT just a great country to live in, NOT just the beauty of nature all around us, NOT just our family and friends,---BUT also The Good Word and Good News of Christ and God's Abundant Over-Flowing Love.

I have a challenge for you---an unusual challenge that I plan to take and hope you will also.  It may require thought--it may come spontaneously--it may just flow from the spigot untethered---that does not matter.  The challenge is not about the idea or where it comes from---the challenge is about what God places before you.

My challenge---from NOW until Thanksgiving---an act of random or planned or arranged kindness BECAUSE of the thanks for all of your blessings.  One or many--no one will know but you---UNLESS you would like to report here as a comment or on Facebook and I will report---but BECAUSE of all that we have--all that we have been given--all the love that surrounds us---in thanks to the Provider---an act of small or great kindness to another.

I encourage you to pray and ask God to show you what He would like for you to do---but also realize that He may provide spontaneous opportunities for your kindness to flow.  If you ask---He will provide --the opportunity--the idea--He is faithful.

Will you take the challenge-----Will you surrender to kindness---BECAUSE of all that you have to be thankful for?  Today is the day I start with this challenge and I am excited already about what He has in store for the next twenty four days---Acts of Kindness---BECAUSE

Today I am joyful and thankful for the opportunities

God will give me in the days to come.

" A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

John 13:34

IT IS ALL GREEK!

It makes me tingle all the way to my toes--to see how God is teaching me.  The intricacies of His plans-and the seemingly simpleness of it all playing out makes my head spin.  He is a MIGHTY GOD---and I am awe-struck as His plans for me are revealed.  

Do you remember my encouragement to read this book?  I started this book weeks ago-

It is beautifully written--with words wrapped in prose like circles all reminding us to give Thanks----Eucharisteo---the Greek word for thanks.  The book is a  challenge to write down all those gifts in our lives and worlds for which we are thankful.  A book that I have slowly read and chewed upon as I have delighted in the description of Thanksgiving for even the mundane.  A long and slow digestion of the beauty and joy in our lives.

I am attending a women's Bible study here in Fort Worth.  This study is based upon the concept of BSF---an in depth probing and dissection of The Word--an exploration of the rich - deep texture of God's very being as revealed to us in 
His divine revelation to His beloved.

Today's word included the lesson of the Greek meaning of two basic words which we cling to in the revealed word of God:

Grace - Charis

Joy - Chara

Look back at the Greek word for Thanks--and notice the root of the word--Charis or Chara-------Grace and Joy are embedded in the midst of Thanksgiving.

My quest at this time in my life is for joy---the joy which is found when experiencing the grace that has been lavished upon me. In the midst of all this reminder of the Grace and Joy in my life--I give Thanks---Eucharisteo.

"Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Psalm 106:1

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