This week didn't feel overly long, but as always, I am thankful for Fridays! A day off with two more to come. IT'S THE WEEKEND!
Today I am thankful for:
- my kids being home (inservice day)
- coffee with a friend this morning to praise God for how He moves and works in our lives
- my daughter who came with me grocery shopping this morning - an activity that brings me much anxiety and dread, but made so much easier because she was there
- Bible Study tonight - a group of people we as a family are all thankful for - kids and adults alike!
- God showing us incredible ways how He is working
- the fact that it's January 31, and that means it's one month closer to summer!
- the opportunity to teach piano - what joy my students bring me!!!
- how God provides for us financially - K & I both have jobs that we so enjoy
- opportunities to minister
- and finally, not lastly because there are so many more things that I am thankful for, but this one made me SMILE big this morning: THE SEED PACKETS TO START SEEDLINGS ARE OUT - BOTH FLOWERS AND VEGGIES! yes!!!!!! I am so ready for spring. . . .
I trust you will be able to find many things to be thankful for on this Friday - at the close of a week. Praying that God will make Himself real to you and that you will see the blessings in your every day life.
~Sharon
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 107:1
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his
steadfast love endures forever!
Ephesians 5:20
Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Colossians 3:15-17
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which
indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts
to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to
change.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 105:1
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known
his deeds among the peoples!
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which
indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Today I thought I would share my breakfast smoothie with you. This is something that I have been having about 3 or 4 times a week and it's a little bit of heaven before I start my day. I usually have them on the mornings when the kids are off to school, and hubby is off to work, and it's just me and the pets. I love it. It's such a relaxing way to start the day and a healthy way to start the day. I will admit, I am not a breakfast person. If I did have breakfast it was usually a piece of toast and coffee. I've been trying to stay away from that, so this is what I have come up with. AND it's a great way to get my calcium in.
One unique thing that I put into my smoothie are Chia seeds. Look at the wonderful benefits you get from just taking in one Tablespoon of seeds each day.
They’re a good source of:
Omega 3 fatty acids - Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, meaning that you need to get from food sources because your body cannot produce them itself. Omega 3′s reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. They’re also said to help with weight reduction related to their regulation of blood sugar levels and insulin.
Plant-based protein - We all know protein is an essential macro-nutrient needed for many functions in the body, including muscle building.
Antioxidants -Anti-oxidants help rid our body of free radicals, which have been linked to cancer and heart disease.
Fiber – Helps with weight loss by keeping you feeling full, prevents constipation and enhances regularity.
Magnesium and Potassium – Two minerals needed for good health.
(taken from the website: http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2011/08/why-eat-chia-seeds/)
So here is my recipe for this delicious smoothie: Berry Breakfast Smoothie 1 Cup of frozen mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries & strawberries) 3/4 cup of skim milk 1/2 cup of yogurt (I used strawberry Danone Activa yogurt) 1 Tablespoon of Chia seeds
Blend together in an electric blender until smooth. Pour into tall glass and enjoy!
The amazing thing is that there are only 335 calories in this smoothie and with the addition of the chia seeds, I find it keeps me going all the way through lunch. This would be great on a hot afternoon as well, although, these days here in Manitoba, it's pretty hard to even imagine summer will one day get here!
The cool water we found just down the road sure felt
good on our hot, tired, achy feet!
One of the best vacations we have ever taken was 2 years ago when we went to South Dakota. Other than going to North Dakota to go shopping, or driving through 3 states to get to Ontario, our kids had never been anywhere in the United States. My husband had loved the Badlands when he had gone as a child, so he planned our vacation to South Dakota. Since we were staying in Rapid City and were so close to Wyoming, we thought we might as well head there to add another state to the places our children had been. So, in sweltering temperatures, we decided to take a day trip to Devils Tower. The van was air-conditioned after all. We thought it would be fun to see it, and do some driving around in the area.
And off we went, without really thinking about where we were headed. After all, we had never been there, and had no idea what was in store for us. Once we arrived, we decided to walk around and check out the walking trails in the area. We realized that there was a path that could take us all around Devil's Tower. The kids were all in, so off we started, cameras in hand - - - and one water bottle - - - and flip flops on our feet. They would have a nice walking path all around, right? About an hour into our adventure, we realized that we were NOT prepared for such a walk. The dilemma came as to whether or not we should turn around, or keep on forging ahead. It was nearly impossible to determine if we were 1/2 way around or what. So we kept on. At times the trail was quite steep and flip flops were not quite the right foot gear, and at times the path went down quite steep, where flip flops were also not the right foot gear!!! Thankfully there were several rest areas and look outs that allowed us to stop and rest at times, but alas, the water was long gone!
Finally, when we thought it would NEVER end, we saw a sign up ahead. THANKFULLY we were nearing the end. Our son ran up ahead and came back almost in tears to announce that we were only at the half way point!!!! As you can imagine it took quite some convincing to get our kids up off the bench to begin the 2nd half of our journey. Surprisingly the last half didn't seem to take that long. (Isn't it funny when you are going somewhere unfamiliar, it seems to take twice as long as it does to return home?!?!?) By the time we reached the parking lot where the van was parked, we were all irritable and ready for some cold water and a nice air-conditioned van!
Needless to say, we definitely learned our lesson. RESEARCH!!! BE PREPARED!!! PLAN FOR ANYTHING!!! (and don't wear flip flops on a hike around Devil's Tower!!!)
As I've thought about that trip (with regards to planning THIS year's holiday!!!!), I have thought about what I do in my Christian walk. At our supper time devotions, we have been talking with the kids about being a witness to those around us. In our daughter's youth, they've been encouraged to befriend someone who isn't a Christian and encourage them to come out to youth. As we've talked about sharing with others we've also talked about how to be prepared for sharing our faith. What kind of answers could they give their friends when questioned about their faith. Do they believe it just because we have taught them things, or do they believe it and understand it for themselves. We have been encouraging them to be sure they are prepared for some of those hard questions.
In discussing that, I've also begun thinking about eternity. Am I prepared for eternity? Would I be ready to face Jesus Christ if He returned right now? What would I have to say to Him? What have I done to please Him? What have I done that I would be ashamed of? Am I prepared to meet my Saviour? Sadly, I look at my life and see so many areas that I am not. YES, I know that I am a Christian. There's no doubt about that in my mind. However, how am I showing my love for Christ? Am I doing the things that He has called me to do? Is my "house" set in order for when He comes back? I think of all the missed opportunities of caring for others. I think of all the missed opportunities to share with others what I believe. I think of all the times I have walked away from a situation when I should have stayed with it. I think of all the times I have let my Saviour down. I think of how focused I am on myself instead of what Christ's wants for me.
I do look forward to the day that Christ returns, but I definitely need to be more "prepared" than I am now. In Colossians 2 it reads, 6 And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. (Hmmmm thinking this might be a good section for next week's memory verses. . . . we'll see. . . ) My life should be overflowing with joy and thanksgiving. My life should be so full and evident of Christ. My roots should be grown down deep, drawing my nourishment from Him!!! I should be GROWING in the Lord. I should show a life that is strong and vigorous in God's truth. Oh how woefully short of that I am. When I look at myself in the mirror, do I see a reflection of Jesus??? When others look at me, do they see Jesus?
Let's get prepared for Christ's return. Let's do all He has called us to do. Let's share His love, His message, His imminent return with others! Let's live so that when others look at us they see Jesus. Let's be prepared for Him so when He does return He will say: "Way to go Sharon. You made me proud!!!" Wouldn't that just be incredible to hear that???? WOW!
Do you ever wake up in the morning and just find you've woken up grouchy? NO! I'm not talking about my husband who I might call "Grouchy" ('cause REALLY he's not!!!) - ME!!! GROUCHY!! I'm the grouchy bear. I lay in bed this morning thinking about the day and just wanted to stay in bed. I just wanted to be mad. I'd had some sort of a dream and I was frustrated and angry in it, and that's how I woke up. I was ready to tear off anyone's head who DARED come near me. (I know, not quite Christ-like was it :-( )
As I lay there, I thought how am I supposed to show love to my family? How am I supposed to share a spiritual tidbit on my blog, when I feel FAR from spiritual this morning. I lay in bed struggling with how to get over my growlies and I started to pray. I asked God to change my heart. To change my attitude. Still, every part of me just wanted to roll over and forget about getting breakfast for me kids. Forget about wishing hubby good morning. Forget about teaching piano. Just forget about doing anything but being grouchy!
As the moments ticked by, I started to think about what God wanted of me, and I started to have this mental argument with God. "But I don't feel like it. Why can't I have ONE day - just ONE day where I can wake up like a bear and growl at the rest, just the way my kids do at me? Why can't I just stay in bed and be mad?" Well, you can pretty much figure out what happened. I started to feel guilty and started thinking about the amazing things I have in my life. I started to think about all the things God has given to me over the months. All the miracles, big and small that He has blessed me with. "SHOOT!!! God, I wanted to be mad, not thankful!"
So I dragged myself out of bed, and decided I was going to be cheerful. Okay, that's not entirely true. I decided I wasn't going to snap anyone's head off. I figured that would be a start. I made it out of the bedroom, past my husband, past my kids and into our prayer room. (Prayer Room) I sat down in front of the computer, and wouldn't you know it, the song that was playing in our prayer room was "I Love You Lord" and the very lyrics that came on as I sat down were this:
I love you Lord, and I lift my voice
to worship you, O my soul, REJOICE
Take joy my King, in what you hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound in your ear.
YIKES!!!! If that wasn't enough to snap me out of my grouchies. I did have to chuckle how God works out those things in our lives. There was such a battle this morning between Satan and God's angels. But thankfully today, I reached out to God and asked for His help, and sure enough, He spoke to me and stopped Satan's grasp on my attitude and turned what could have been a really grouchy morning, into a morning of praise.
So if you are feeling grouchy this morning, join me in focusing on what God has given to us. I know here in Manitoba with all this cold weather and snow, it's easy to get focused on the negative. It's easy to feel spring is never going to come, but join me in watching this video, won't you? The images of God's wonderful creation, and the words of praise, may just get you out of your grouchies this morning. Praise God - it did for me!!
(PS, after the video, I have included our memorizing passage for today. Thought I might need to mull this one over and over this week!!! Blessings on you and may God's joy and praise be felt in your heart today!)
Tuesday's Choice: (figured this was appropriate for me this a.m.)
Psalm 150 1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with the resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD.
Friendships. That's what I've been thinking about these last couple of days. It's an area that for me has often been up and down. Early on in our marriage, my husband and I had some fairly close friends, but never did we have lots of close friends. But for us it was the quality of friends that we had in our lives that was more important. Having moved into this community, we did not have friends that were from our "growing up years" and so coming into a close knit community, we found it difficult to connect with those around us because they all had family/life long friends that they would get together with. It is unreal though, how so many of those incredibly close friendships that we did end up making, ended with those friends moving away. Time after time, we would finally connect with another couple, and after a few years, God called them somewhere else. It was difficult. We would finally find a couple we could really connect with and who made us a priority and they would end up moving away. So many times this would happen, and each time it did, it made us pull back from people just a little more. And over the years, I know that we had built a wall around us. As the years have passed, we've realized how much we have pulled away from those around us and how lonely life was becoming at times. I've also realized that there were many people out there who were just as lonely as I was.
Over the past couple of years, thankfully God has brought several people into our lives who we now consider our dear friends. I know in the past, I was waiting for others to connect with me. I wanted THEM to make the first move. I kind of felt like this was THEIR town so why should I have to make the first move. But that mentality left me empty and alone. Over the years, God has prompted me and reminded me that to have a friend you have to be a friend. That regardless of whether or not other people have closer friends, God has just called me to show His love. He calls me to love others, and that includes those around me. God calls me to look at the interest of others rather than that of my own. (HEY! I think those were the verses I memorized a couple of weeks ago. Tuesdays memorizing passage )
I am so thankful for the friends that God has brought into my life. I am thankful for the friendships that our children have forged with other solid Christian children. I am thankful for the friendship that even though they have moved away, that despite time and distance, our friendships still stand. I am thankful for the friends that have stood beside us through difficult times and prayed for us through those times. I am thankful for the guidance our friends have given us. I'm thankful for the times when our friends have said the difficult things that we needed to hear despite what we might feel. I am thankful for renewed friendships that God has allowed us to reconnect with. I am thankful for new friends.
More than ever, I am realizing that when I open up my heart to share God's love to others, and when I open up my heart to be loved by others, that's when friendships are grown. That's when God's love can flow. That is when I am blessed by others, and I can begin to see all the blessings that God has placed right in front of me.
Truly, friendships are a gift from God - one I am incredibly thankful for!!!
So to those who I am proud to call my friends, just know I am blessed by you and honored to call you my friend!!!
