30-ish Thankful Days 2023

God Had A Tree (Day 13)

11/26/2023

I posted this last year, and the year before, but I will never, ever, stop being grateful that God had a tree.

Max Lucado wrote, "God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is for you. God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. 'I have written your name on my hand,' he declares (Is. 49:16)." "

Although I appreciated the sentiment, a thought immediately struck me. God did have a tree! He hung Jesus there. And God carved my name on His Son.

In my mind, I pictured my name carved in the skin of Jesus. As the blood flowed from that wound, my name got bolder and bolder. Eventually, there was so much blood that it flowed down to the ground, covering my name as it went. My name was gone. My sin died with Him and was washed away by His sacrifice. Thanks be to God!

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Today, I am thankful that God had a tree.

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Blue Heron Problems (Day 12)

11/26/2023

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A few years ago, I was out mowing on a sunny day when a huge shadow blocked the sun and passed over me. It was so large that I ducked thinking that a jet was flying too low and about to crash. When I looked up, I saw a blue heron flying off to the north.

Blue Herons weigh around 4-6 lbs. but their wing span is 6-7 ft. They are huge birds, but there's just nothing to them weight-wise. However, they make a huge shadow when they fly at just the right angle.

Problems sometimes appear like this in our lives. Because they like to block our view of "The Son", they appear so much larger and weighty than they really are when they are, in reality, no more than that Blue Heron flying over my head.

“You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].

I like this verse in the Amplified Version. If I was a Bible, that is most assuredly what version I would be. LOL! Ask anyone who knows me. Ha!

Today, I am thankful that for God, my problems are no bigger than a Blue Heron, even when to me, they look so much larger.

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Discomfort & Inconvenience (Day 11)

11/26/2023

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What??? You're thankful for discomfort and inconvenience? Yep! Read on.

It's almost the end of the month and I didn't write nearly as much as I intended. It's not that I'm not thankful because of anyone I know, I have so much more to be thankful for! As it turns out, my part-time job has been filled with full-time weeks due to the absolutely crazy and concerning life of my co-worker who has faced so many challenges and heartbreaks this month.

As a result, I was called upon to "fill in" for her, although filling this woman's shoes is a misnomer. She is, all by herself, a force of nature and I doubt that I could ever fill her shoes but at least I kept things afloat. Working full-time is not what I signed on for, but by the grace of God, I did it when it was necessary and will continue to do it when needed. My Pastor referred to it as serving others, but I just look at it as serving the Lord by taking the opportunities He gives me to be a blessing.

As we all know, one person only has so much capacity, so when work and typing papers for my husband's graduate class filled my days, writing was the first thing to go. (I can only sit at a computer for so long in one day before my fingers just won't work anymore.) I don't begrudge either of them the time. It felt good to be helpful.

So today, even though I'm under the weather, I am thankful that I get to serve the Lord by sometimes serving others in ways that don't make me feel comfortable and that aren't always convenient. His grace is sufficient!

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The Gift of Godly Examples (Day 10)

11/16/2023

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Every year at Thanksgiving, I grieve the loss of my father-in-law. This will be our third Thanksgiving without him. In a blog I wrote in 2020, I wrote “ I could write volumes about how he touched so many lives with his kind, quiet, gentle, and humble demeanor but there is no doubt that Harold was a powerful individual and he lived life loud. “ He was a private man. He didn’t hug and barely would shake the hand of a woman other than his wife. I wrote, “I never touched my father-in-law other than shaking his hand but oh, how he touched my heart.” I totally believe that I am a Christian mainly due to this man’s prayers.
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He left behind two women, my husband’s mother and aunt, who also love the Lord, and between the two of them have lived nearly 150 years in Christ. They are known as “The Relics.”

His aunt especially touches my heart in a special way and has taught me much about Christ, but I’ve learned the most from watching her live. She, like her brother, has a deep-seated joy. It’s almost like they have a secret joy fountain hidden somewhere that they regularly drink from. Even after 60-70 years in Christ, her salvation is as real to her as it was the day she got saved. She is driven by a desire to please Him in all she does.

And just as a relic is something to treasure and value, this woman is to me my most valued friend. I spend as much time as I can with her because she has stories to tell and wisdom to share. Her physical body troubles her, but her spiritual body is as strong as it has ever been! She has taught me so much about serving Christ, living in freedom and victory, and prayer. What’s more, she has modeled what she teaches in her everyday life. You’d never suspect that you are in the presence of “spiritual greatness” when you’re around her because she is as approachable and loving as anyone I know. She is one power-packed dynamo. She doesn’t have Facebook or Instagram so she won’t even read this, but I think she knows how special she is to me. I try to tell her as often as possible. I truly thank God for her friendship. She is a gift.

Today, I am thankful for the gift of the Godly examples that God has put in my life.

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He Did It For Me, He Will Do It For You! (Day 9)

11/16/2023

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I’m not a country rock fan but this song just resonates with me. As I listen to it, I recall all the seemingly un-crossable, un-climbable situations I’ve encountered in my 40 years of being a Jesus Girl. God has done all the things mentioned in the song for me-healing, breakthrough, freedom, holy rescue- He did it for me, He can do it for you! He truly can work ANYTHING for good, no matter how it looks in the natural.

I’ve learned that some things need to be broken to be fixed right. Some things need to die in order to live. Some good things need to be left behind in order to make room for the better. None of this is easy, in fact, it may be impossible without God in the equation.

But God truly is a God of endless miracles and I’ve seen Him do so, so many in my life and in the lives of others.

As a young Christian, I was taught to take God at His Word, to ask Him for His Word, and to have faith until the answer comes and God has never disappointed me. Even when things didn’t come the way I asked, His presence and fellowship in the midst of the struggle, the waiting, and the hoping was “exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). It was more than I could have imagined and exactly what I needed. He’s so good!
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Take 3 minutes, close your eyes, and listen to this song!

Today, I'm thankful that God is able and willing in every situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28QgUuem9qM&ab_channel=JasonCrabb

If I’m only here to tell you one story
It’s that God can work anything for good
The way that He writes it Is glory to glory, Page for page, no matter how it looks

I know you’ve been asking
Hoping and praying
That somehow He could make the wrong things right
Heaven’s been listening
And something is changing
So let me be the first to testify

If you need a highway through the sea, Your mountain to be moved
He did it for me
He can do it for you
He’s the God of endless miracles
Ain’t nothing He can’t do
He did it for me
He can do it for you

If you need healing
If you need break though
He did it for me
He can do it for you
If you need freedom
A holy rescue
He did it for me Yeah,
He can do it for You

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Sticky Friends (Day 8)

11/12/2023

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We all go through storms in life. I have found that the worst thing about them is when you go through them feeling like you are all alone. The enemy loves to isolate us in those times because he knows that if we have friends to walk with us, there will always be a voice of reason, a heart of compassion, and a shoulder to lean on.

In one of my storms, I was alone for a long time, not because I wanted to be, but because those I thought would be there for me were nowhere to be found. I totally understood David’s lament from Psalm 41 when he said “Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” The “lifting up of the heel” refers to a vicious horse, which kicks his own master. My friends didn’t do me harm, they just deserted me and it felt as if I had been kicked in the gut by a horse.

Proverbs 17:17 it says “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” A true friend will love (and be present) in all circumstances whether unfavorable or favorable.

Psalm 18:24 says “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is one who sticks closer than a brother.” The word “sticks” is also translated “cleaves.” “This kind of friendship brings something into your life that mere obligation cannot bring, and therefore nothing else comes close to a true friend. But what is interesting is that because we live in such an individualistic culture, this kind of deep friendship is often overlooked and yet it is irreplaceable. Why? It is irreplaceable because we all experience troubles and tragedies and difficulties and storms. But without deep friendship in your life, without others to go through it with us—we’ll sink. We cannot make it through trials and tribulations without this kind of deep friendship and community.” (Pruitt Cares Foundation)

At just the right time, God sent several ladies from unexpected places who grabbed my arm and assured me that I would not walk this valley alone. They never judged or criticized. They were just "there." I pray that God will make me this kind of friend for others.

Today, I am thankful for “sticky friends.”

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The Worship Tree (Day 7)

11/9/2023

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Psalm 96:7  Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9  Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;1
tremble before him, all the earth!
10  Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12  let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13  before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Last month, my sister and I visited Hershey, PA. We spent about an hour in the Butterfly House and then meandered out into the gardens. There were thousands of mums strategically placed in the beds, and the rose gardens were still in bloom, filling the air with their satiating aroma. As we rounded a corner in the Japanese garden, an evergreen tree caught my eye.

Each branch grew upwards from the trunk as if the ends of the branch were reaching it's hands to Heaven. I immediately dubbed it "The Worship Tree."

Psalm 96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Right now, creation groans for Christ's return. Groaning is something beyond words. Creation is beyond words, but oh on that day:
~The trees will sing "Redemption, Redemption" as they wave their branches as an offering before the Lord.
~The wheat fields, exalting God as their sheaves wave, will shine like gold in the sun.
~The thundering waves of the seas will jump for pure joy before pounding the shore. What a sound!

Most days it's hard for me to imagine that nature, in all of it's complexity, diversity, and beauty, is in a fallen state. It's anxiously awaiting the Savior's return. And so am I! On that day, I will be beyond words when I behold Him in all of His glory and splendor!

Today I'm thankful that Jesus is returning and ALL will be right!

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The Label Changer (Day 6)

11/8/2023

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I love how the Lord comforts me.

Yesterday, I was feeling a little apprehensive about something that may or may not happen as a result of something from my past. In my mind, I was turning over all the scenarios that could arise and how I would answer them.

Usually when someone approaches me concerning my past, I tell them I’d rather not talk about what is under the Blood and in God’s sea of forgetfulness, but I will gladly talk about the one who redeemed it, and not only redeemed it, but abundantly redeemed it just as He promised me He would in Psalm 130:7-8.

Then this morning, a meme popped up that was shared by a member of my writer’s group that confirmed to me that I have no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed any longer about those things from my past. Others may have labeled me for life, but God is a label changer.

It said in essence, “I’m not ashamed about anything that I’ve been through. What may be “tea” for you is testimony for me. If you’re gonna talk about what may have broken me, invite me to the table so I can tell you what God did with the pieces.”

Psalm 130:7
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
8 And He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Today, I am thankful that God is a label changer, and that He abundantly redeems, even when others don’t think He can or should.

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No Hype! (Day 5)

11/6/2023

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Tonight was the first game of the PSU men's basketball season. The town was a-buzz with expectation. Last year, our coach of 2 years left. After the graduates left and other entered the transfer portal, we were left with 3 players, all of whom had barely played at all the previous season.

For months, there have been almost daily hype videos, trying to draw in the totally exasperated fan base and get them excited enough to come to a game.

Tonight was the moment of truth. That poor visiting team got a good ole fashioned butt whoopin' and the crowd that left the building was not tentative any longer, but genuinely excited about the season. All the hype turned out to be true for a change.

We tend to put our hopes, dreams, and expectations into what turns out to be hype and we end up disappointed. You see, hype is not truth. You cannot base your happiness on it and you certainly cannot plan your future around it. Usually, the next greatest thing is at best a flash in the pan.

There is one thing though that sometimes sounds almost too good to be true, but it is! It’s God’s Word and all the promises you find there.

Numbers 23:19 says:
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?

God’s promises are yes and amen when they are believed in proper context and expected in faith. You can believe them and see them come to fruition in your life. He is not a liar. His power to perform His promises in your life is not diminished.

I could write volumes about the times that God took me to a promise in His Word and told me to believe it for myself. Some came right away. Others took time and blind faith. Some I am still waiting on but I know that “he who has promised is faithful.” His Word is true. It is not hype!

Today I’m thankful that God’s promises are not hype, but truth that I can build my life upon.

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The Paths God Has Chosen (Day 4)

11/5/2023

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If you had asked me just 7 years ago if I would be where I am today, doing what I'm doing, I would have told you that you're crazy.

As I pondered my post from yesterday, that said the seasons of my life are set by God's authority, I became acutely aware of how God has blessed me by leading me down the paths that I have walked. Some of them were tremendous times of blessing and fellowship, other times were filled with consternation and hard lessons learned, still others desolate and lonely but they drew me into a more intimate relationship with Him.

Several times along the way, God put me in places where I felt isolated, I wasn't being fed, and I had to move forward in God by seeking Him outside of the fellowship of the church that I was in. There were even a few times when I felt so out of joint that it seemed as if I was going in the opposite direction as most everyone else. Still, I continued to seek the Lord and eventually, He either brought me around or removed me from it.

Many might say that I’ve faced more than my fair share of trials and tribulations, but through them all, God has been so real to me that I wouldn’t, I couldn’t trade them for an easier road. It’s in those times that I have wonderfully and truly found that God is more than enough in every situation. He’s so real to me.

Psalm 138:8 has always been a favorite verse of mine.
“The LORD will accomplish what concerns me;
Your faithfulness, LORD, is everlasting;
Do not abandon the works of Your hands.

Today, I am thankful for the paths that God has chosen for my life.

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