Grateful In All

This was originally written for my church bulletin cover...

“Lion on a leash." That is what Ann Voskamp calls Satan in her book One Thousand Gifts. I first heard of her through her blog where I saw her list. Her ongoing list of things to be thankful for. So I started one too. Now and then I remember the list and I meditate on the little and the big things in my life that I can be thankful for and jot them down. I recently started reading her book and was reminded that a life fully lived is not just thankful in the moments of wiggly baby toes, morning grass adorned with dew drops, and ice cream cones. I thought I knew this. Yes...of course we are to be thankful in all things. God uses all things for our good (Romans 8:28), so no matter how hard it is we thank Him and bless His name just like the song says.
Yet when it happens, what do I do? Do I pout? Often I do. Don’t get me wrong. There are times when hard things have happened and I have felt the blanket of the Lord wrap around me and hold me while I mourned and He never gave me a chance to pout. Then there are times where something minor happens that throws me for a loop and I’m pouting and wondering “why me?” as if I should be living a life free of hurt. That wouldn’t be a full life though. Life in itself is full of so many different experiences and how we deal
with them is up to us. When the bad comes am I thankful that though Satan is a fierce lion, he is still on a leash? No matter how much he tries, he can only
roar and perhaps scratch me from time to time, but his leash keeps him from
devouring what belongs to Christ. Am I thankful for the chance to grow closer to and stronger in Jesus? Allow me to continue my list here, finding something to be thankful for in a few of the harder things....

81.
Entangled in someone’s gossip....reminds me to hold my own tongue

82.
Friend claims to no longer believe in God.....my own assurance of faith is challenged and now stronger than ever

83.
Miscarriage.....chance to experience the Love and comfort of Jesus in a new amazing way

84.
Death of family friend...... thankful for time w/ her, reminder that life here is but a breath

85.
Whining children...reminded that I must sound that way to God sometimes

86.
Situation not going my way.....chance to break free from selfishness

87.
Exhausted..... this means that I have a life blessed with good things and people to wear me out

88.
Never ending to do list.... opportunity to serve

89.
Lonely times....moments to just be with the Lord

90.
The unknown.... the adventure.

Grateful

61. kids who can pour their own cereal

62. school out for the summer

63. reminders that my life is cake (thus the list to keep me in check!)

64. baby toes

65. summer breeze

66. happy birds

67. chance meetings w/ old friends

68. simplifying

69. sharing hand me downs

70. cool summer mornings

71. sister reading to little brother

72. surviving yard sales

73. air conditioning (this might be a repeat)

74. libraries

75. blogging mamas

76. phone chats with dad

77. generous parents

78. daughter's curls

79. washing machine's

80. grace

Confessions...

...of a failed blogger. Seriously! How hard is it to get on here and bare your soul? I've tried different things to motivate me on here. Maintaining consistency is often my downfall. Usually my people pleasing nature trumps the previous mentioned flaw, but since I don't know if anyone really reads this my pleasing side has no motivation. Of course I need to acknowledge the four kids I am a mother to and all the other household/wifely duties and baring my soul falls down on the list. But I will NOT give up! I will still visit this place, try new 30 day "fill in the blank" challenges and continue my list of things I'm grateful for.

Soul exposures of the day....

1. Listened to a radio program today where a woman reminded me that in order to be more in tuned to the Spirit's discernment I need to walk so much closer with my Lord. I let this fall by the wayside to easily. I talk to Him on and off all the time, but I treat this relationship to casually. Time for a change.
2. She also reminded me that it's not about us loving God, but that He's crazy in love with us. So freeing as I know I fail in my expression of love to Him constantly. His love overflows all my gaps.