It’s not too late to join the Gratitude Challenge on our NEW Facebook page! It’s never too late to be thankful and express our gratitude to God.
Recently I came across a book by Dustin Crowe – The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks. It’s been an eye opener for me in giving thanks and having a heart of gratitude. Apparently I have been doing wrong. There’s a question that Dustin asks; Am I offering thanks as a tax or a gift to God? Ouch. It made me stop and evaluate how I give, why I give and to whom am I giving thanks.
I highly recommend getting a copy. You can purchase on Amazon or through Truth for Life (where I heard about the book) and it’s free when you make a donation in any amount and I do believe shipping is free as well.
Give thanks thanks to the Lord. What does giving thanks look like for you today? Singing? Praying? Praising? It doesn’t need to be much, a simple “thank you” to God for what He has done. But be sure to be intentional and specific about what it is for which you are thankful.
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16 NASB).
Romans 11:34 “For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?”
For me, as I see it, in our humanness we are limited. Especially when it comes to understanding ALL that God has for us, i.e. His plan for us, how He works ALL things together for our good and His glory. We will never know and understand everything in the Bible this side of Heaven. John 21:25 “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” (NLT). I believe ALL that He IS the whole world could not contain the books that would be written (not to add to scripture). Y’know that saying separate your who from your do? What you do isn’t who you are. I think God is the only one who is what He does. God is love. He loves everyone, but not everyone will accept Him. His who is is His do. No?
We may not know or understand God’s mind fully or how He operates. But we can know what pleases Him. And knowing what pleases Him, we can have some understanding about Him. If we are in Christ, verse 14 -16 of 1 Corinthians says, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” “Mind of” being the operative words. We can have Christ like thoughts.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Not only do we learn that we are given the instruction to give thanks it also God’s will for us. So if you’re wondering what God’s will is for your life, start with giving thanks to God. Finding God’s will for us, for our lives, is a journey, it can take time, so here’s a good place to start just by giving thanks.
With the month of November being noted for Thanksgiving, we can take the opportunity to grow our minds like Christ by giving thanks and we are doing His will. Sounds so simple and it is and there is more to this with offering sacrifices and being obedient. Perhaps that’s another post.
Join us on the new Facebook page for a 30 day gratitude challenge. It’s not too late, it’s always a good time to give thanks.
Happy Monday! The New FaceBook Page is up and running. Please join us in a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge for the month of November. It’s not too late to be thankful.
Be sure to like and share the FB page and add what you’re thankful for in the comments.
Happy Friday Eve! Today’s post is a poem that I am proud to share, written by my sister several years ago. It’s hard NOT to see God in anything. Either on the mountain top, in the valley or anywhere in between we can see God if we are open to Him.
In the sunrise, In the dawn, In the chill of a frosty morn, Where is He?
In the sand, In the sea, In the waves that beat on me, Where is He?
In a tiny, feathered wing, In the choir where angels sing, In the snow that’s falling fast, In the towering evergreen, In a blade of grass that’s barely seen, Where is He?
In the mind, In the eye, In the heart, He’s quite close by. He was with Noah in the flood And on the cross He shed His blood Quiet, softly He’ll creep in And wash away the stain of sin.
Gladly He’ll take full control, If you will let Him in your soul, So don’t delay. The time is right. Won’t you please let Jesus Become your light? He’s waiting for you to let Him in, But you can’t hear Him knocking above the din. In the quiet… In the night.. Just let Him in, The time is right. He is here!!!!
The new Facebook page is active. Please be sure to visit, like and share. I started reading The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks. At the back of the book it has a gratitude challenge and for the month of November to kick off the new Facebook page I will be posting five things for which I am grateful .
If you aren’t on Facebook that’s ok, you can post what you are grateful for here. I am thankful for all who support this blog by following and sharing. Thank you ❤️🍁
How many times have we all prayed a prayer, “Father, please be with…” I started to think, why do we ask that? We already know that God is omnipresent. Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Jeremiah 23:24 – “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.”
Think back to the Garden when God came looking for Adam. He was there. Nothing goes unseen by God. So why do we feel the need to ask? Habit perhaps?
So maybe there’s a better way to pray. I realize I don’t need to ask but to recognize whether I feel His presence or not, He is with me. I know this because the Bible says so, so many time throughout scripture. I thank God for His being with me, for His omnipresence, that He will never leave me or forsake me and I acknowledge that He said so in His Word. I thank Him for being with whomever is needing prayer at the moment, because I know He is. He promised to never leave us or forsake us.
If God says this in the Old Testament and repeats it again in the New Testament, then He not only means it but it pertains to us still today. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
We have a big God. Thank Him for being ever so present.
Happy Friday! I used to get my undies in a bunch over messes, dirty dishes, and my home not ready for Better Homes and Gardens to come in a take amazing pictures of my home. But who lives like that? I have wasted too much energy on trying to have my home perfect and always looking like a magazine. What I learned, it’s ok that my house isn’t perfect, it’s ok that I have piles of books and papers on the kitchen counter. It’s ok I have baskets of dirty laundry and clean laundry. It’ ok the bed went unmade. And it’s really ok the sink has dirty dishes, it means we ate. Some folks don’t have that luxury. The fact that I have a mess and dirty dishes in the sink means I have been out living life, doing things, living the life God gave me. Those messes will get taken care of when someone has the time to clean them.
Ok so my house isn’t a pig sty. I do clean. But I stopped to evaluate what was most important, people or a messy home. My home may have a mess here and there, but it’s a clean mess. I try not to take for granted that I am healthy enough to make a mess and clean it. So I wrote a little poem to help remind me. Enjoy. (ok it’s a little off, but so is my house)
The Lord Blesses as We Messes
I am thankful for the dirty dishes
in my sink,
for I am healthy enough to dirty them,
eat and drink.
I am thankful for the dirty clothes in the basket,
for I’m healthy enough to dirty them,
and nothing but washing will mask it.
I am thankful for the messes that lie about,
un-made beds, a pile of clothes , papers strewn – a thought without,
The Kedge Anchor 
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