365 days of gratitude, over, but not out!

Life is a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs.  The ups fill us with euphoria of magnificent proportions, the downs, with fear, anxiety, uncertainty and weigh us down.  It is much easier to find those willing to join us for the 'up' rides, but eager to get off before the downs............... 

Thank goodness for the One who will take the seat next to us and ride the entire journey.  Thank You Lord.  Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord....... for a Love like no other and without measure, a faithfulness that is steadfast through thick and thin and hope that gives us a reason for tomorrow.......

This 365th post marks the end of a challenge I set myself a year ago, a journey of wide ranging experiences, of discovering a lot about myself and others.  Most importantly a journey in which my daily focus has been one of giving gratitude no matter what!  'No matter what' has been key to my achieving my goal.  Being in a constant state of gratitude has required me to dust thoroughly to get rid of life's cobwebs so that I can keep focused on what is truly important and not be unnecessarily distracted and I will always be thankful for that.

My husband has ideas on what I could / should do with my 365 posts so ................................. this isn't bye bye. 

I have more recently enjoyed randomly picking posts and reading them with fresh eyes and I have to say they have blessed me.

Let us all come and adore Him......

Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

 

 



 

I don't always tune in to the Queen's Christmas Day speech, but a friend encouraged me to listen to this year's in particular and with the help of  TV replay Ayo and I listened to it this afternoon.  She was right.............. it was different......... from the start she spoke of the birth of Christ as being the significant event of that day, the day we now celebrate as Christmas Day!  Furthermore she made reference to the hymn 'In the bleak mid winter and encouraged us to give our hearts and nothing else to our Lord and Saviour!!! 

 

Christmas Day has been and gone, somewhat quicker this year, possibly because we finished school later than usual.  For many there will be a void, a post Christmas Day emptiness that can only be filled by the love of Jesus Christ, nothing else.  I am so thankful today (day 364) that because of the events of that wondrous day I am here, able to give thanks to Him.

Guest blogging...........again

Hello.. Its your guest blogger Aaron again.  I did a blog a few months ago, and I asked my mum if I could do another one so here goes...............

Today is christmas :D. No suprise, me and my sister were the first ones to get up at 6:30am. My sister kept trying to wake me up and kept asking me how long until Christmas. I could hardly sleep, so in the end m and my sister Grace went downstairs. We turned on the TV to see if there were any Christmasy films on. My sister turned the channel straight to Nick Junior. She watched 2 Barbie Christmasy films in a row. By the time they both finished it was around 9:00am and me and Grace were still waiting for my family to get up so we could open our presents.

 By 9.30am my mum and dad and brother had woken up. We had cinnamon cake for breakfast (Thank you Aunty Charmaine)and then opened our presents. Santa was very kind to me and I got some of the things on my wish list and so did Gracie!

Me and my family had a nice chilled in day at home watching Christmasy films, with drinks and snacks at regular intervals.  We all had such a laugh and just talked.  Around 5ish we had our Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. It was just devine.

We then watched some more films, and to this very moment, beside me. my mum and my sister ( underneath Grace's JB blanket) are fast asleep, whilst my dad is on his laptop listening and making some music whilst my brother is on his laptop watching football.

Now this is what I call the perfect Christmas.  Importantly I learnt that christmas is not about the presents, but it's the season of giving thanks.  All around the world there would have been people, including children my age and younger who did not make it through the night to see this morning, so I am very grateful to be alive and have the best preset ever.. My family.

Thanking my guest blogger, my son Aaron, today (day 363).

The Pursuit of ....................

Thank goodness there are always opportunities in life to put all things into perspective and simply give thanks to God Almighty, to kneel before Him in humble adoration, to just know how very much He loves us.  I give thanks today (day 362) for such an opportunity!

One of my favourite films more recently is 'The Pursuit of Happyness.'  It is, in my humble opinion, a movie that inspires one to pursue dreams, never give and just to keep on going.  Tears well up in my eyes most readily at various points in the movie and I am in awe of a man motivated by his love for his son to pursue ........................ against all the odds.

Christopher Paul Gardner (born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American entrepreneur, investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker, author, and philanthropist who, during the early 1980s, struggled with homelessness while raising his toddler son, Christopher, Jr.  Gardner's book of memoirs, The Pursuit of Happyness, was published in May 2006


Christopher Gardner: I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was.

Christopher: Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two boats, you dummy!"

This is my favourite quote from the movie...........

Not long now..............

King of kings, majesty,
God of Heaven living in me,
gentle Saviour, closest friend,
strong deliverer, beginning and end,
all within me falls at your throne.

Your majesty, I can but bow,
I lay my all before you now.
In royal robes I don't deserve
I live to serve your majesty.

Earth and Heaven worship you,
love eternal, faithful and true,
who bought the nations, ransomed souls,
brought this sinner near to your throne;
all within me cries out in praise.

Your majesty...
Jarrod Cooper

Not long now and I'm thanking You Lord today (day 361) for the King of Kings.

Oh, the weather outside is .....................

Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

 

 

Seriously though, the rain is here to stay, possibly providing us with a wet, if not snowy Christmas!

 

Thanking You Lord today (day 360) for a quiet (ish) Saturday...........



A reason for the season!

Thanking you Lord today (day 359)for a reason to celebrate the season; the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!.............  Did I hear "Amen!"

I made it!.................

I made it!................................. and I am so so thankful today (day 259)

Here for a reason............. Amen

 

YOU’RE HERE FOR A REASON

‘…I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.’

The Bible says satan works ‘day and night’ building a case against
you (Revelations 12:10). But with God’s Word ‘…in your mouth and…
heart…’ (Romans 10:8 NCV) you can overcome him.
 
When satan says give up,
God says stay the course (Matthew 5:11-12).
When satan tells you to look out for number one,
God says put the other guy first (Philippians 2:3-4).
When satan says it’s okay to hold grudges,
God says forgive as often as it takes (Matthew 6:14-15).
When satan says get even,
God says be a peacemaker (Romans 12:18-19).
When satan tells you to take all the credit,
God says glorify Jesus (John 17:5).
When satan says clean up the outside and people won’t notice the inside,
God says He looks at your heart (1Samuel 16:7).
When satan says you’re ugly,
God says you’re ‘…wonderfully made…’ (Psalm 139:14 NKJV).
When satan says you’re alone and nobody understands you,
God says He’ll never leave you and that He has plans for your life
(Deuteronomy 31:6 and Jeremiah 29:11).

David said, ‘I know you are pleased with me…you have not let my enemies
triumph over me. You have preserved my life…’ (Psalm 41:11-12 NLT).
The devil will play the race card, and if that doesn’t work he’ll try the childhood
memories card, or he’ll dredge up your past sins and remind you of all the
broken promises and dreams. Jacob said, ‘I have seen God face to face,
yet my life has been spared.’

Bottom line: God has a plan for your life;
otherwise you wouldn’t be here!

I believe this and hold on to His promises for my life today (day 358).

Nearly there!

A performance down, one to go .................... thanking you Lord today (day 357).

The Final Countdown.......

I am giving thanks today (day 356) that the final countdown has begun, it is the last week of the autumn term.  Yahooooooooooooo!!!

Seriously I absolutely love my vocation, but do so look forward to hanging up my teacher hat (if that's possible) and indulge in the good things the festive season affords; late rises in the mornings, catching up with family (see you soon sis) and friends, drinking cups of tea whilst they are still hot and been able to steal away to far away places..................... OK, perhaps I exaggerated, my bedroom to chat, without the pressure of time, to my husband, till the early hours!  Actually I do that already, but it's so much more special during holiday times................

Let the countdown continue....................

Great anthems and cafe style church!

There are songs, great songs and finally anthems and here is one of our family favourites which we have had on loop today, acapella Aina style and also one of the many awesome renditions out there!

Great is he who's the king of kings

And the lord of lords he is wonderful

Great is he who's the king of kings

And the lord of lords he is wonderful

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

He is wonderful

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

He is wonderful

Alleluia salvation and glory honour and pow'r

He is wonderful

Alleluia salvation and glory honour and pow'r

He is wonderful

Check it out on Youtube........ just put in the first line into the search engine.

Talking of styles we enjoyed a wonderful cafe style fellowship in church today, festively decorated tables, hot winter warmers and cakes whilst the children performed their splendid nativity.  The looks on faces as people arrived confirmed that it is good to try something new, every now and again and I give thanks today (day 355) that it was most warmly received.

Telling the most important story of all ......

Saturday .............what a day!

Looking forward to the Sunday school play tomorrow, (day 354) and giving thanks in advance for the blessing it will be to all.

R & R, Gracie style!

It's wonderful isn't it, to know that each day of our lives we have opportunities to learn something new.  Today I learnt not to wash a white car on a wet, muddy day!!!!!!

My favourite Friday feeling is picking Gracie up from school knowing that our weekend can truly begin (although mine started a few hours earlier).  There's an extra bounce in our walk home that signifies our delight that our R & R time is upon us!  Gracie truly embraced that today when I had to go and meet Aaron in town briefly to relieve him of his bags as he was out with his friends and left her with her big brother.  On my return she was cosied up in her dressing gown, the time, 3.45pm.  Giving thanks today (day 353) for precious times of  R & R..........

Have a blessed weekend.

In all situations...........







 

In all situations we must remember that;

 

Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God ............... and I am thankful and humbled today (day 352).

 

 

Love ..... what a treasure!

To love and be loved ............... what a blessing, today (day 351)!

Double lashings of gratitudes .................

It can be frustrating when technology fails, but alas it happens and so it was yesterday when we had no Internet connection from late yesterday evening until this morning!  It means I have got double lashings of gratitudes to be thankful for.............


The UCB Word For Today have been doing a series called 'Unhealthy Comparisons,' which has been encouraging us to be all that God wants us to be by not comparing ourselves to anyone else and not wanting to be anyone else.  It really is a fantastic 7 part series and started on the 3rd December, it's certainly one to check out.  I never fail to be thankful for the wholesome principles contained in these daily inspirational messages and was thankful yesterday, (day 349).

There are special moments to treasure in life and today sits up there amongst them.  A most excited, but understandably nervous beautiful young lady took to the stage, as the lead in the school play, Tinsel and I have to say she was sensational, they all were, especially the Reception class, just four years old!  It was all put together in about two weeks, due to our visit from Her Majesty's Inspectors.  This time of year is pretty, pretty hectic, on all fronts, but school gets a little 'crazy,' in good spirit.  Next week it's dinners and discos when I get to share my moves with the children...... I can just see their faces now.  I am thankful today (day 350) to be part of a child centred community, my school.

Blessed Sunday

Thanking You Lord today (day 348) for a blessed Sunday!

A mighty gathering around the table.................

Tight squeeze, but we managed it and the three courses that graced it!

What am I talking about?  About 20 of us gathered around a couple of dining tables enjoying some wonderful dishes (we were spoilt for choice) and laughter fuelled banter.  I had never played a 'Texas secret Santa' before, but will certainly be repeating it.  I must think of a way to relieve Alison of my gift, or was it Jennie's gift, before it became my gift and then Alison's!  Confused?  So was I........

WHY ENGAGE IN FELLOWSHIP?

We’re instructed to. Hebrews 10.25 tells us to assemble with other believers.

We are all a part of God’s family – we are the body of Christ. Romans 12.5 and Ephesians 2.19 talk about how we all need each other in order to function properly.

We all need encouragement, especially during difficult times in our walk. Read Hebrews 10.24.

Fellowship provides accountability. When we decide to live the Christian life on our own, we easily open the door to doing things we shouldn’t do, or entertaining ideas that can hurt us spiritually. Good Christian friends will warn us when they see these things, but if we don’t have these friends, we won’t hear the warning.

To get away from the negative influence of the world. Spending time with other believers help us refocus. Our friends will affect you, whether positively or negatively. Choosing to spend time with Christians and limiting time with friends that distract us or are negative influences is a sign that God is working in us and that we are willing to surrender. The Bible tells us it’s not bad to break off bad friendships, even though it may be difficult and we might feel mean or disloyal.

We need the opportunity to share struggles and joys. We need friends, and Christian friends are more likely to identify with the spiritual struggles and joys we experience.

                                                                                                                                     M. Schmidt 2005

Fellowship is a must for life and I am thankful today (day 347) to have been able to partake of some, in lovely company.

Hooray for weekends.......................

Today  (day 346) I am simply thankful that the weekend is here!

The river of God....

The river of God sets my feet a-dancing
The river of God fills our hearts with cheer
The river of God fills our hearts with laughter
And we rejoice, for the river is here
                                                         ............Vineyard

Giving thanks today (day 345) for a river that will never run dry!

The impossible becomes possible!

In Him all things are possible ................. (day 344)!

10 Reasons to Be Thankful....................

Giving gratitude is not a natural disposition for us human beings, but in a world where there is so so much hardship, suffering, loss and despair it is an essential requirement of daily living.  I sat during lunchtime today, just listing the things I had to be grateful for so here is my list of my ten 10 gratitudes today (day 343), although of course there are many many more.

1.    I am thankful that my Heavenly Father accepted my invitation for Him to come into my life, my
       heart.

2.    I am thankful that He loved me so much that He blessed me with my soulmate, my husband, who
       loves me unconditionally and without measure and always has my back .

3.    I am thankful for my three angels, Sam, Aaron and Gracie who represent everything that is good
       in life.

4.   I am thankful for the blessing of my sisters, Sade, Comfort, by brother Jim, close family and
      good friends and my fellowship family.

5.    I am thankful that I am a work in progress, in the Master Potter's hand and that He who began a
       good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

6.    I am thankful for my mother-in-law who is an answer to a prayer I once prayed as a teenager
       with an aching heart, longing for the embrace of someone I could call 'Mum.'

7.    I am thankful to reside in a country where I can freely go to church fellowship without threat.

8.    I am thankful for the gift of music, particularly that which allows me to just sing my praises to
       Him, at the top of my voice.

9.    I am thankful and blessed to be in a profession I truly love and the opportunity to impact and
       change lives.

10.  I am thankful just to be me, warts and all!

What are your 10 reasons today?

Warmth on a frosty morning.....................

I am not sure if it is the super cold mornings, but it was tough getting out of bed this morning and I mean tough.  Somehow the cold seemed to sap all my energy and being greeted later on by a cold classroom didn't shift the 'brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' feeling, but you know what there was a job to be done and so I think I just blocked the cold and tiredness out.  Doing a job I absolutely love and feel privileged to be doing soon opened the way for a warmth.......... that only comes from Him.  God is good isn't he.  He is there to just keep us going when to be quite honest we really could not go on.  Knowing this soon melts the icy cold of a winter day and I give thanks today (day 342).

Sensational, Serene Sunday..............

Thanking you Lord today (day 341) for a sensational Sunday spent firstly in wonderful worship and fellowship followed by the glorious company of my first team!  That's what I'm talking about.............

Crossways, a home from home............

Oh what a day.......................  It is wonderful to see a person's vision and hard work come to pass. Well done Lisa!  It is the season, that's for sure and looking around at the community spirit in the room gave me a warm glow................. it was our church Christmas fayre and the girl had done good.  People came from all over, with a variety of goods in the shape of food and lots to bring Christmas cheer and a steady stream of visitors meant that there was lots of fun and laughter in 'the house.'  There was a real buzz in the air.

I think lots of Christmas trees and decorations will be going up this weekend, ours included so it will be a packed weekend indeed, but we're loving it!

Lord today (day 340) I am thanking you for our church family and wider community and pray Your mighty hand will continue to rest in that place, our fellowship home, Crossways.

Christmas is well and truly in the air!

School fayres, church fayres, Cliff Richard, Boney M (yes!), carols resounding.
Thanking you Lord today (Day 339) for the start of another festive season.
May the true meaning of Christmas be even more widely known this year - Amen!