love – From Death to Life

Attitude of Gratitude

As I’m laying in bed this morning, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

On Monday’s my husband is off from work so he gives me the morning off. He gets the kids up and ready, packs their lunches and takes them to school.

To be honest, most of the time I’m sleeping while all this is going on.

But not this morning…

As I’m laying in bed, listening to all the hustle and bustle coming from downstairs, my youngest pops in my room and climbs up in the bed with me and snuggles for a few minutes. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude!

Gavin goes to finish getting ready for school and I’m left laying here, thanking God for how blessed I am.

With that gratitude comes conviction. I am reminded of all the times I’ve complained about the things I don’t have. When honestly I have more than enough. Literally as I write this, I’m laying in my nice comfy warm bed, when just a few miles from me there is a homeless camp.

I often get frustrated with our tiny two bedroom townhouse. But just a little over two years ago I didn’t have a home. I bounced from my dad’s house to friends untill my welcome wore out. The night I was arrested I was trying to steal a tent. In my crazy drugged out mind, living in a tent sounded like a great idea.

I am able to look back now and see that me going to jail was one of my greatest blessings. I’m sure you don’t hear very often someone say they’re thankful they went to jail lol but God used that awful situation to save my life!

When I reflect on where I came from, suddenly my townhouse doesn’t feel so tiny.

It is so easy for me to get consumed with wanting more, wanting a bigger house, better clothes, nicer car, etc. But are those things really necessary to live a happy life?

I think the key to being happy is being satisfied with what we have. Being grateful is a game changer!

Honestly it’s not any of my material possessions that bring me true happiness. It’s the people God has placed in my life! It’s knowing I’ve been redeemed and bought by the blood of Jesus! It’s knowing my sins are not only forgiven but forgotten and I no longer have to spend eternity in hell.

I know the holidays can be one of the most loneliest times of the year and it’s easy to focus on what we don’t have, but no matter what, we have the love of our heavenly Father who sent His only Son to die so we can have eternal life. We are not promised a life without struggle and pain but we are promised an eternal life free from any hardship, where God will provide an eternal home for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy, and learning in His presence.

I pray as Christmas approaches we all celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and that is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That in its self is enough to have an attitude of gratitude!

Tis the season…

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was great! My dad and oldest son came up for the holiday, this was my dad’s first time coming to see me since we moved to North Carolina. It really meant allot to me.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and cheer yet it seems to me they can be just the opposite.

I know I have to be very intentional about what I focus on during this time of year or I am quick to get depressed instead of joyful. Does anyone else struggle with holiday depression?

The enemy will try to get me to focus on all the things I don’t have, the family that’s no longer here or estranged, the job I recently lost, the things I can’t afford for my children.

Just watching TV can be a trigger for me. Watching Christmas movies and seeing families all together and full of love is hard when you come from a dysfunction family that is anything but a Hallmark movie lol

Even the commercials are geared to make us feel unsatisfied. I don’t know about you but I know a new cadillac or 4 carat diamond ring are not gonna be under my tree.

Like I said I have to be very intentional. If I keep my focus on the world’s example of what the holidays look like of course I’m going to be depressed and focused on all the wrong things. But if I turn my focus back to the real reason for the season, Jesus Christ, I can’t help but be full of joy!

Being thankful is a game changer. The minute I turn my focus on God and all He has done for me, everything inside me starts to shift. Depression can’t stay, sadness has to go, loneliness leaves because my Savior never does!

I know it’s hard to ignore what we may feel or what our circumstances are. It’s in those moments when we just want to give up and throw in the towel that if we cry out to Jesus, everything changes!

This holiday season, I refuse to get sucked into the trap the enemy sets. Of course he loves nothing more than to see God’s children depressed and unsatisfied instead of celebrating the life we have been freely given through Jesus. What greater gift is there than for One to lay down His life so we could have ours.

It’s not about how many presents we are able to give or receive. It’s about the greatest gift ever given and that is our Savior Jesus Christ!

Even if I have to remind myself of this everyday, I’m sure sometimes several times a day! Whatever it takes to truly appreciate and celebrate the true meaning for the holiday season.

I pray that each and every child of God unwraps the gift of their Savior and experiences the joy of the Lord this day and each and every day that’s to come.

Happy Holidays my friends!

Beloved

Dearest Beloved,

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. This light within you only produces what is good, right and true. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ. He has created you anew in Christ, so you can do the things He planned long ago.

Because of Christ and your faith in Him, you can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. So I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts and as you trust in Him your roots will grow deep down into God’s love and keep you strong. And you may have the power to understand, how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all fullness of life and power that comes from God.

You are members of God’s family , He decided in advance to adopt you by bringing you to Himself through Jesus Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved you and chose you to be holy and without fault in His eyes through Jesus Christ. That is what He wanted to do, in fact it gave Him great pleasure! Furthermore, because you are united with Christ, you have received an inheritance from God, for He chose you in advance and He makes everything work out according to His plan.

He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased your freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave your sins. He has showered all kindness on you, along with all wisdom and understanding. He did all this so you, His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance, would praise and glorify Him! Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power, to accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or even think.

Understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for you who believe. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms! I beg you to live a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God!

This is written from Ephesians chapter one through five. I pray it blesses you reading it as much as it did me writing it!