Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Weekly Gratitude Journal



My determination to get these posts out every week and to do a bit more writing in this space is continually sidelined by the priorities of my current life. And I'm okay with that. What happens in this space is in God's hands as I walk in surrender to Him. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, about the concept of surrender and submission to God, of truly making Him Lord, Ruler, Master, the Boss of my life in the reality of my life and what that looks like. I'm of the opinion that we too often think of it as something that we chose to do when we received Jesus as our Savior-when we were born again-and then we don't think about it much after that. But to make Jesus the Lord of our life way back at some point in our past too often doesn't translate into submitting to His will in our life today. Making Him Lord of our past and of our unknown future sounds good, but the reality is that we'd rather avoid letting Him be the boss of today. I prefer to spend my today doing what I want and how I want. Making Him Lord of this twenty four hour box that I am currently living in, letting Him guide how I spend my minutes and honoring His priorities and preferences over my own, takes Lordship from an ethereal idea to a "where the rubber meets the road" reality. And that's been one of the things that is turning my life topsy turvy in a good way. 

Our journey is what God uses to forge us, shape us, mold us, make us. Four years ago our journey took a turn, yet looking back, we can clearly see that it wasn't just something random that happened to us, but something God had been leading us toward for our whole lives-it was the next step in our journey. For us and our church family, it didn't happen without cost. Americans hold on very stubbornly to the American idea of Christianity-of proclaiming Jesus as Lord, while spending their time and money, spending their days, doing whatever seems right in their own eyes. The plumb line that they measure their obedience by is that their preferences are not wicked. They, like the rich young ruler, are proud that they are keeping God's commandments. But, like in the parable, when God asks them to sell all and follow Him, when laying down their comfort, their priorities, their preferences is required, all hell breaks loose in the hidden parts of their unsurrendered souls. Americans declare Jesus as Lord with their words, but it's rare to find those who are living it in daily reality. To live wholly surrendered is looked upon as just too radical, just too costly and those who chose to do so are often labeled cultish heretics. 

I don't have this all figured out, nor am I claiming to be walking in the fullness of what actually letting Jesus be Lord in daily reality looks like. But, what I can tell you is this, I have decided to follow Jesus and to truly let Him be my Lord in the fullness of all that means  for me and whatever that looks like. No turning back. No turning back.

*********************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.
 I continue to count my thanks, 
piling up gratitude day by day in my journal.
(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

(Catching up on posting the last of September's gratitude journaling.)

#16,163-#16,206

9-19-2022-
-God's correction BEFORE I started the day complaining!
-my oldest grandson texting me that he loves me and loves my texts to him
-a balmy late summer walk and  a beautiful sunset

9-20-2022-
-a Facetime video chat with my youngest daughter and granddaughter on a day when I'm really missing my east coast family
-a friend's prayers
-a long phone chat with my son-in-law
-texting with my grandson
-God of the details-a Christian doctor who prays with her patients
-my granddaughter facetiming me for help with a school project

9-21-2022-
-visible healing of my grandson's injuries
-a day off 
-feeling so much better!
-a quiet evening spent creating a card for a sweet friend

9-22-2022-
-the first day of autumn
-a friend's kindness and help
-a need met
-beautiful prayer points and scriptures that a friend compiles weekly 
for the women in our church

9-23-2022-
-Friday date day with my love
-a new autumn colored top
-homemade popcorn and a favorite show

9-24-2022-
-God's help, strength and energy on a full, busy day
-a sunny autumn afternoon to watch my granddaughter play soccer 
while having a good chat with my other granddaughter
-God's help to find a solution to a frustrating technical issue

9-25-2022-
-God ministering so clearly to people this morning-
(in particular a new person who "just happened to randomly find our church")
-the way God sometimes takes care of things we need help with  even before we ask
-a rare Sunday afternoon nap

9-26-2022-
-waking up early in order to have plenty of quiet time before meeting some friends
-a lovely breakfast and deep conversation
-God's peace and order in a day that could have been stressful due to a few unexpected things happening
-growth group gatherings

9-27-2022-
-praying with one another
-the sweetest little jar of honey from a friend's bees


-a freshly groomed pup


-God's help when I face something that I don't know how to handle

9-28-2022-
-s phone call from my South Carolina girl
-a Starbucks followed by a walk in the woods with my grandgirlie
-spending the afternoon/evening with our two granddaughters-
making tacos and baking cookies together
-having the means to communicate with my daughter as we track the hurricane heading her way

9-29-2022-
-no hurricane damage to our daughters or their homes and properties
-worshipping wile I work
-some much needed rain

9-30-2022-
-time to make some ten grain muffins and scrambled eggs before heading to the airport
-a safe, uneventful, on time flight
-getting to meet people face to face that we've only come to know and love via zoom/video

still following,


2 comments:

  1. Thanking the Lord with you for his protection over your grandson and your daughters, their families and homes and property.
    ~Adrienne~

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is my first visit to your weekly gratitude journal... I love this idea, of listing things we are thankful for! In my prayer journal (an actual pen on paper journal) I have just begun that practice. I have done many different things throughout the years to help me remember what I am thankful for, but now I am being intentional about writing out 3 or 4 things PRIOR to writing out my prayers. It has been helping to put me in the right mindset for the day. God loves a grateful heart!

    ReplyDelete

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