In spite of…

In spite of ________________ [list all of the negatives things that could be stated], I am thankful for ____________ [fill in the blank with anything that is a positive].

In keeping with this current theme of giving thanks, I am working on how often I complain about anything. It isn’t that there aren’t things to complain about, but I am often a “glass half full person” until I am in a rut and I am not. I do not like those ruts. Just like those ruts in the road, this complaining attitude works its way into my mind and heart and quickly spills out of my mouth.

I think it is ok to point out the difficult, unfortunate, and unhelpful things about a situation. But I like to temper it with anything positive. There may be nothing good about a circumstance, but there are still things to be thankful for. They do not have to be related at all to the challenging situation and sometimes they are not, because there are some hard, hard things that happen in life.

But I know God is working. And I am thankful for His daily gifts, for the people in my life, for His saving grace through Jesus. What is on your list of things to be thankful for? The key to becoming more thankful is to express more appreciation and “give thanks”.

What are you thankful for today?

Köszönöm – Thank you

There are so many ways to express thanks. Köszönöm means “I thank you” in Hungarian. And with that, I thank God for my ethnic heritage.

I hope you are able to thank God for yours as well! It’s fascinating that we carry our ethnicity within us — it’s passed to us through the generations in our DNA and those cultural habits that have survived life in a busy world. And we often end up passing these on within our family line, too

Sometimes we try to deny, avoid, or ignore our ethnic heritage. And that may be because of how we have been treated because of it or our own feelings of disdain for it for whatever reason. But, do a DNA test and you will see the facts.

You have been uniquely crafted by an amazing God. Your ethnic heritage is woven into you and shows up in your appearance. If your family maintained any ethnic traditions in your family then you might be drawn to certain accents, foods, music, or folk art. Maybe you grew up hearing the sounds of another language in your home due to your heritage.

My Hungarian heritage has absolutely contributed to who I am today. God can use anything and everything to deepen our understanding of who we are and why we are here. Start by thanking Him for His creative work — and that He created you!

🎶 And I just thank you Father for making me ME! 🎶

Hello Friend! Day Seven

Hello Friend!

I know there are times I get so distracted with my day that I forget to stop and be thankful for all that God has placed around me. I know I need more gratitude in my life! And I also need to express it to everyone I come in contact with. There is so much critique and criticism out in the world and a thankful heart helps me refocus and gives me attitude a positive spin. It is so easy to get drawn into negative thinking patterns, but expressing positivity and thankfulness can be infectious in a good way!

Let’s start a revolution!!!

What three things are you thankful for today? Can you dig a little deeper and come up with 10?

Lord, help me to be more mindful about the blessings all around me!

Love,
Liz

A Time for Everything

A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 NIV

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

In the scheme of life, we are all run by some sort of clock whether it is internal or external. If we live where there are distinctive seasons our activities are sometimes centered around those transitions. But even if there aren’t definite weather seasons where we are, there are seasons in life, jobs, relationships, growth, faith — you name it!

When our kids were little, we never wished they would move through stages quickly — we knew that each child had to move at their own pace and we had to let them figure it out and trust their own stride. We each have our own unique tempo. Sometimes we are attracted to those who have a similar beat and other times, knowing we need a change in pace, we find ourselves connecting with others who have a very different pulse. Sometimes I have to be very intentional about slowing down my pace because once I get going I struggle with turning my brain off to relax a bit. I am thankful for changes in pace, even though they take some getting used to. Measuring our progress by speed is useful in some ways but not in all. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

I love that God has created us each in a unique way and with a unique pace. I appreciate those around me who share my rhythm as well as those who challenge my stride.

Has your regular rhythm been challenged recently? Are you frustrated with how slowly things may seem to be moving in certain areas of your life? If you allow it, God may use your new pace might bring along a new perspective and a new peace about your circumstance.

On the way,

Liz

PrayerPoint ~ Letting Go and Living

I don’t know about you, but there are times in my life I have held on to things for far too long…

A pair of pants I wore many moons (and sizes ago).

A momento from an old flame.

A wound from a friend.

Disappointment in myself.

Last year, I had the opportunity to help a family member do some purging. If you know me well, you might be laughing because you know I have some purging of my own to do. And I actually am getting around to doing just that! But the stuff seems to multiply quickly if I am not proactive and intentional. I often set things aside to deal with later and then, when later finally comes around, the opportunity or need has passed. Well, at least, when I make my next pass, it might be easier to toss!

Sometimes I hold onto things because they are interesting, I need to know more about it so I can make a decision, or it is something that needs to be saved. Sometimes I hold onto an item that is simply too difficult to release for any number of reasons. Trust me, the person who has to sort through all your treasures after you die will be thankful if you don’t have lots of piles to sort through. Start purging!

But those old wounds?

Release them!

I don’t know that this can be done on your own.

I know I can’t do it on my own.

But these things — they need to go! I am pretty sure they can suck the life right out of a person. You’ve seen people that are drained and depressed by old wounds. Their pain is evident.

Do I want to look like that?

Do I want to LIVE like that?

I don’t.

I can’t.

I can’t because that isn’t living.

I need to place it all “At the Cross” and work through the process of forgiveness!

Below are the lyrics to a song that I have loved for quite some time. The melody is just as sweet.

I know a place, a wonderful place
Where accused and condemned
Find mercy and grace
Where the wrongs we have done
And the wrongs done to us
Were nailed there with Him
There on the cross

At the cross
He died for our sin
At the cross
You gave us life again

Are you holding onto something that you need to let go?

PrayerPoints ~ Friday, March 4th

Proverbs12_25_w

Today’s PrayerPoint ~ Psalm 66

“Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

When I am in the middle of a tough time it helps for me to remember what God has done for me and for others. Sometimes, just reflecting back on the many incidents in Scripture is enough to encourage me but, other times, it is refreshing to hear someone talk about God’s transformative work in their heart and life. The Christian walk isn’t always easy, which is why it is good to share our struggles as well as our victories.

“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” Psalm 66:5

Sometimes it is good to make a list of what God has done for you. Have you ever taken time to write down those things you are thankful for? If you have, take out and review the list. If you haven’t, today is a great day to start! Regularly pondering what we are thankful for leads to a heart of gratitude. The more grateful we are, the more it is evident in our words and deeds and it helps us to be more pleasant to be around and that positivity is infectious!

Busy Days

Got a long list and a short amount of minutes to accomplish the task?

That is my life today!!!

But it isn’t too busy a day to praise God for the sunshine, His love, His grace, His mercy, And His forgiveness! Even on one of those crazy days there is time for praise!!!

Quick–what are 5 things you are thankful for today? It is important that we notice and give thanks, even on a busy day!