Counting His Gifts: April 2011

Monday, April 25, 2011

Finding Contentment

As I continue to work on the habit of gratitude, I am seeing how central it is to my walk. Everything really does come back to giving thanks to God. At church on Easter morning one of the pastor's main points was, when we are focused on self and the stuff that we don't have, we miss God working in our lives. I don't want to ever overlook God's hand in my life. But it's so easy to become consumed with wanting to keep up with others. I struggle. Some days it seems like everyone else has a nicer car, house, clothes, etc. And then I begin to overlook, even disregard, all the blessings that have been so graciously given to me directly from His hand.

This past week God taught me a lesson in this area. I was struggling with wanting a newer car. Josh and I crunched some numbers we didn't see a new car payment fitting into our budget. I was feeling frustrated and sorry for myself. How did everyone else afford new cars? Why was our budget so tight? And then, during a trip to Sonic, it hit me. A really old, beat up car pulled up next to me. It had a 30 day tag on it. That car is all the driver could afford. They spent their hard earned dollars and were most likely really thankful to have transportation, no matter what it looked liked.

I was really struck at how ungrateful I had been. I started to think about our two sponsored children in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. They are thankful just to have food. I recalled an article I had recently read that talked about how America is the only country where having two (or more) cars is normal. Most families in the world are blessed to even have one car. It was eye opening. How quickly I can change from a person trying to focus on each and every blessing to a person telling God His blessings aren't good enough. Isn't that what it all comes down to. 'God, what you have given me isn't what I want, I want more...better...different.'

A quote I heard on K-love sums it all up. "Happiness isn't having what you want, it's wanting what you have." And with that I continue to count His gifts and try to live a life of indebted gratitude to Him.

Gifts 206-222

brownie covered faces
mimi-memi-mymi-mo

laughing hard with my best friend

a husband who sends me away to Starbucks to relax

the privilege of spending my days with little princesses

watching butterflies emerge from their cocoons

an evening game of croquet

singing and dancing in the kitchen to Abby's favorite song

trusting in Jehovah Jireh

Resurrection Eggs

Isaiah 55:10-11

watching the youngest inhale M&M's

rubbing her back until she drifts off to sleep

excitement for a girls shopping trip
day in KC with just my hubby, picking out curriculum

delicious lunch at a fun restaurant

learning true contentment

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Matthew 6:25-26

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Encouragement

This year I am studying the book of Isaiah in BSF. It has been such a great study on a book that I have always just passed over, thinking it would be too difficult to understand. Another misconception about Isaiah is that it was mostly prophecy and it wouldn't be applicable to my daily life. I was SO wrong. Every week after study I walk away with a convicted heart. This week was no different. The lecture was on Isaiah 54-57.

Here are the verses that really encouraged me...

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

These are verses that I know, but today I saw them in a different light. Let me explain...

Lately we have been trying to have an evening devotion time as a family. At the beginning of the year we decided to read through the Bible in a year. It started out after dinner and then moved to right before bed, after Abby had been put to bed...she just wouldn't sit still. It seemed like every night there was so much resistance to this opening of God's word. Either a child would be grumpy, we would be exhausted, we were going to bed late. We pushed forward, knowing that Satan would want us to stop. But then it seemed like our kids were getting NOTHING out of this time. We were reading from a children's Bible with applicable questions at the end. Rarely were the right answers given and we felt like we were constantly having to say, "Listen...Sit Still...Leave your sister alone". It became frustrating for all of us. We were exhausted and felt like nothing was being accomplished. And sad to say it's probably been 3 weeks since we even attempted a devotional time.

That's why these verses struck me. God is the ONLY one who can work in our hearts. It's not my job to change their hearts. I am called to deliver the Word. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) God does the rest. Why do I take Him out of the equation? Why do I think that I have to do it all? It is His Word and He will accomplish what He desires. I can smile at squirmy kids and having to explain everything over again (and again). God's word will not return void. What may seem empty now, God will make full.

So with renewed focus we will be starting family devotions again. And there is peace in knowing that if I do my part, God promises to do the rest.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend might have been just perfect. It was three days long, thanks to my husband's awesome work schedule, and we spent most of it outside. Finally the cold weather subsided and warm temperatures were here! Friday was spent painting furniture, taking Kate to her best friend Katharine's house for her first away from home sleepover (she was SUPER excited!), and spending the evening watching Star Wars with just Andrew. Saturday the weather was perfect...75 degrees with glorious sunshine! We started the morning at our favorite doughnut shop, then headed outside to soak up the sun. We packed a picnic lunch and went to Iliff Commons. This is the first year that Abby is old enough to keep up on the nature trails. We hiked for over 2 hours, and while she had to stop and rest, she made it the whole way! Saturday concluded with family over for dinner and a great church service. Sunday morning Josh made waffles (!!) and the rest of the day included fishing, playing at the park, feeding the geese, blowing bubbles, and a crazy windstorm.

Throughout the weekend His gifts continually popped into my head. It still amazes me that when I slow and see the good in all things, I am filled with joy and can't stop being thankful for how He has blessed me. Here are a few gifts from this weekend.

Gifts 193-205