A Grand Attitude, Every Day, All Day.

Psalm 107:8-9 "Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul, He has filled with what is good."

We're expecting a late night storm Sunday into Monday. It will be so nice to hear the rain, the drip-drop through my trees and the splash-splatter on my front door mat. I'll see the leaves shine again, polished by Heaven's hydration, and more of the yellow leaves now covering my backyard, a thick blanket of gold falling to make way for the new. It is oh, so good.

Thank you Lord for loving and for kindness.

Does the earth give thanks?  "Let them give thanks," the Psalmist says.

America celebrates Thanksgiving Day, a day set aside to be proactive in gratitude. 

When the skies overflow and rain streams through the dryness of the land,  it swallows and gulps that which it longs for, that sustains, nourishes, and enables it to thrive. It is loving and kindness and the results are beauty in the Spring, new growth, new hope.

And just think for a moment...If we spend some time feeding and drinking, nourishing in the words, the attitude and posture of Thanksgiving, what results can we expect in our spiritual bodies? And what if that became an all day every day event?

"Eucharisteo--thanksgiving--always precedes the miracle." 
~ Ann Voskamp.


Gratitude is just that, a GRAND ATTITUDE, because we see His wonders all around us. It can change us, if we allow it.

What wonders captivated you today? What did you notice, what caught you, stopped you for a second to know that God is good and He is loving and kind?

Loving: For me, today was spent at a memorial service for a close relative. "Let your Lifesong Sing" played by the worship band as my little 2-year old (3rd) cousin played at my feet, his great-grandfather's legacy surrounding me in new life and good memories.

Kindness: A friend from church sees me at the grocery store tonight and comments about my manuscript, how it is going to bless the church!  With tears, I could only say how without the church blessing and loving on me, teaching me, being Jesus to me--my memoir would not have been written.

God is good: Just when I think my son doesn't care too much about "certain things," he comes home from a little road trip and hands me a heart-shaped rock.

"I found a heart rock at the river mom, for you."

The earth needs rain. The soul needs the Hope of the Lord, the Word of God to sustain life, a hopeful life, a life of purpose. We need the constant drip and saturation of His Word, combined with fellowship and worship to sustain our walk with Him.

We all hunger for something. Our stomach growls, our gut groans for more. We consume and regurgitate, fill and purge. Then do it all again. Every day. All day. But the longing soul cannot be satisfied with our worldly lusts, our self-indulgence, our gluttony for our own expectations and desires.

It's only when we truly empty ourselves, remove the bag of our own guts and gizzards of grand schemes and glory, can the Lord refill us with His Goodness. It's a Grand Attitude of humbleness and sacrifice that will spring forth inner peace and joy.

Lord in Heaven and on Earth, we thank you and give you praise for how you show us Your wonders with the cycles of seasons, with sunshine, rain and new growth. Thank you Lord for satisfying our thirst when our lives become dry, when we've neglected Your Word, Your fellowship and failed to give You priority in our lives. Your sweet promises quench our hearts and hydrate our blood to flow again with a GRand Attitude: Gratitude! Thank you Lord for Your satisfaction, for feeding us Truth and helping us to desire your Banquet Table. Be with us Lord in Your Holy Spirit and continue to lead us into a life of Thanksgiving, not just one day out of the year, but all day, every day and continue to bring to us all Your wonders and goodness. May we be humble, for You Lord are Worthy. Lord, prompt us and prepare us to receive You, Every day, all day. Amen.

                                                   LIFESONG ~ CASTING CROWNS





                       

Forever Young

II Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." 

My husband and I spent Thanksgiving Day at the "Happiest Place on Earth,"  Disneyland. We aren't exactly teenagers, but sometimes, we just like to pretend. We can get away with that at Disneyland.

We become young again, and remember the good ol' days. Surrounded by the things I love, creativity, color and design, gardens and story, I---we feel inspired.

We sat at our outdoor table at a restaurant called the Plaza Inn, our turkey dinners in front of us; my husband grabbed my hand and said,

"Let's pray, I'm hungry." 

 For the first time, I bowed my head and prayed out loud amongst everyone else at Disneyland,  right off Main Street, below Sleeping Beauty's Castle and catty-corner from Tomorrowland.

God made His presence known, for He is always with us in our hearts. His streets and pathways lead to grace and joy, His Kingdom reigns forever, and our future He holds in Eternity

The highlight of our evening concluded watching the "World of Color," water and light productions over Paradise Bay in California Adventure. The shows, filled with songs from the Disney films from my youth (yes waaaaay back then) and some modern songs (Frozen) came to life with animation projected in color,  dancing waters and even fire,  for our wonderment and entertainment.

The final show ended with the song, "Forever Young," composed by Bob Dylan and probably remembered best sung by Rod Stewart.

Maybe Bob spent sometime in the Word when He wrote this...

"Forever Young"

Written by Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always 

May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others 

And let others do for you

Matthew 7:12 

"Therefore, however you want people to treat you, 

so treat them, for this is the Law of the Prophets.

May you build a ladder to the stars 

And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young

Proverbs 4:18

But the path of the righteous

is like the light of dawn,

That shines brighter and brighter

Until the full day.

Forever young, forever young 

May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous 

May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth 

And see the lights surrounding you

Ephesians 5:9

For the fruit of the light consists in all

goodness and righteousness

and truth

May you always be courageous 

Stand upright and be strong

May you stay forever young

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be Strong

And courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed,

For the Lord God is with you

Where ever you go. 

Forever young, forever young 

May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy 

May your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift

I Corinthians 3:11

For no man can lay a foundation other

than the one which is laid, 

which is Jesus Christ.

May your heart always be joyful 

And may your song always be sung

May you stay forever young

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusts in Him,

And I am helped.

Therefore, my heart exults

And with my song,

I shall thank Him.

Forever young, forever young 

May you stay forever young.

While out and about today, out of the blue tonight, my husband mentioned the feelings he felt last night, 

"The music...made me think about Timmy, (our son  in Heaven).  It made me miss him. " 

"He is forever young Ted, I thought of him too,  it's all good."

Ted: "I hope Corey can come with us soon, we'd have so much fun."

"He doesn't exactly like hanging out with 'old' parents," I said. 

"WHO says we're old? I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength..."

So tonight, dear friends, may you be "Forever Young," living in and through the promises of the Savior King, the Prince of Peace and the Divine Creator of everything wonderful, colorful and joyful. 

Yes, serving the Lord and knowing Him even beats Disneyland! 

Lord, Tonight and I am grateful and thankful that I have a season pass to Heaven! While I am here on this earth, You help me navigate through all the different "lands" of my life, whether happy places, discouraging places, fearful places or unknown places, You Lord are my Light, my shield, and my King. Thank You Lord for my husband and partner Ted, who enjoys this life with me and that we desire to stay "young"and serve You with all our hearts. Help us Lord to do just that and keep the turnstiles of Your truth moving with ticket holders set for seeing Your Kingdom established. I pray for the sons and daughters still young, that their hope falls upon a Star, one rising in the East that points to the Promised One, the Messiah, The Giver of all things Good. Lord, in thanksgiving, I praise You.  Amen. 

An All In, Whole-Hearted Thanksgiving

Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders. 

Read the Psalm and you hear the author proclaim what he is in the process of doing. It's not a "maybe," its not a "I hope to" or "if I happen to see or feel something..."

I will. I will do this thing, this thing of thanksgiving, of gratitude. 

I think he's done it before. He knows. He is used to this holy habit, the consistent humbling and hash tag hallelujahs in his life. 

His heart-eyes zero in on the gifts, the wonders, and he gives his gift back, this thankfulness in the wonder of it all. 

The thankfulness is whole-hearted and whole on his lips, because of whole-body and whole-purposed love.   

It's every slice of the pie with lots of whipped cream and then the serving of it, its sitting and watching the game of football and cheering for your team--wearing the jersey and/or the "cheese head." He's all in! 

And its also the quiet gifts that turn his head to wonder. The moments that come in a whisper of "I created this for you today!  I saved you for this today!  I have this planned for you soon!" 

He feels it and knows it and bows his head in grace-filled gratitude at the Wonder, the wonder of all of it, just for him, and for us all. He can't help but tell.

This is how he does this life. Covered in grace, a heart beating to a song of gratitude and blood that needs to tell it in order to keep flowing and regenerating. He knows the power behind all of that, the way it heals and transforms. The telling uncovers the hope and the supernatural sets the table for one more. 

Here, write your name in the book. You're THE special guest today. Your name tag is written into eternity. 

Others ignore the invite, pushing it away, full from the world, bitter from its unrelenting pain. There is no truth, no winning team, nothing worth the fight...thriving on nothing but leftovers and carcasses of the dead.

But Love awaits when we say the words...Thank you Lord  for Your love, reveal it more and more to me...

 He will, and you'll keep coming back for seconds. 

He tells it, he shares it. Listen to the Psalmist, what he wants to tell. There always an invitation waiting. It's never lost, inscribed in gold each time. 

And there is always, always something to be grateful for. 

Begin today to bow your knee if only slightly, begin to take Him into your heart, to yearn to become whole-hearted and wonder-filled.  Grasp the bread in your hand for one more minute and remember, feel His goodness and His sacrifice. Slow down and savor the  cup, and taste and see...and I promise you, God promises you, you will  know your own whole-hearted thank-FULL-ness and wonder to tell of His gracious goodness and wonders. 

Lord, move today in those hearts yearning for Your peace and fullness. Allow for our prayers to be heard, for the eyes of the blind to be opened and the hard-hearted to be humbled. Let us look deeply and expectantly for Your wonders of glory and embolden us to tell of your majesty and your promises of Hope. You are Good and I will give thanks. Amen 

#1000Gifts (18th, 19th, and 20th). 

Three gifts of Traditions:

1. Mums on grave markers

2. Wednesday night Thanksgiving Service 

3. Turkey Soup   

Three Gifts of Autumn

1. Piles of crackling leaves on my campus

2. A clear view of the San Gabriel Mountains

3. The smells of pumpkin and cinnamon and cider

Gifts Made, Shared, Passed On.

1. A colorful crocheted scarf

2. An unsolicited blessing from a friend

3. God's Word in blogs for the world 

No Words

II Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 


As a co-leader in a unique ministry called Aspiring Writers' Forum, I anticipated our first class for the 6th season with immense gratitude and a humbling yet confidence-in-God- attitude, more than ever.  You see, my special friend and co-leader gracefully encourages me, reminds me, inspires me and anticipates right along side me. Because of her health issues and other obligations, I am taking on a few more responsibilities in the group. Glad to do it, I never want to see that seat empty next to me. We had over 22 sign-ups and 18 in attendance on Wednesday.

I organized the recruitment, wrote the first week's curriculum, typed up a roster,  corresponded in other e-mails with our ministry pastor,  sent out several e-mails, cleaned out last year's notebook and repacked for this year. I arrived a half hour early to enjoy a coffee and a little dinner, then greeted old friends and newbies to our group.

The first 45 minutes of class proceeded with introductions and business. The time finally arrived to get to the meat of the evening, "the journal question."  I wrote it out on Sunday after church--three days prior.  With everyone writing vigorously, collectively inspired...I sat there...my pen scattering words that didn't gel, didn't have my voice, didn't convey something super spiritual, super devotiony....(Yes, I just made that word up).

I CANNOT HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK IN MY OWN WRITERS' GROUP...ESPECIALLY WHEN I PROPOSED THE QUESTION -- (3 days ago)!

With several brand new writers around the table, we began to share what we wrote and one by one, each piece spoke transparently and truthfully, and the Kleenex box took its active role on our table. Christ, who anchors our souls, and we, the chain on a link attached in grace to Him, unite in purpose. It's a beautiful thing to witness.

The reading is back around and upon me,  and I say..."I PASS."

And it is OK.

It was not stress. It was not lack of inspiration. It was not time. All I had on my heart that night was GRATITUDE.  My scrappy words could not possibly convey all that  brewed inside my head. How in the world do I get to do this...?

That's just it. It's not of this world. It is in a spiritual realm that only He, as a sovereign God,  purposed. I get to do this wonderful thing with twenty or so others spinning out sentences, plucking out prose and beginning blogs, dabbling in devotion writing and navigating through narratives, marching through manuscripts and memoirs--smashing the stereotype that writer's are lonely, troubled, isolated souls.

NOT IN OUR GROUP!

So, thank you Lord, for NOT giving me words at times. Thank You for just listening to my heart. Thank you Lord that the words and encouragement from others anchor me closer to the depths of your will. Thank you Lord for strength, discipline and eyes to see, ears to hear what You want to show me. Thank you Lord for the chains of love You have given to link me to serve You. What a great crew! Bon Voyage!  

The Wonder of it All!

Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders.

The seasons take their sweet time coming upon us here in the Southland. Fall seems to be officially here when the Halloween candy disappears and the pyramid display of Mrs. Cubbison's stuffing is teetering at the entrance of every favorite grocery store.  

Just once I'd like to...nah...

This week the sun shined bright and a few records were set in the high 80's and even the 90's. Finally, Friday felt like fall.  I missed snapping a picture, but the leaves piled everywhere on campus; thick and rustling underfoot. I thought of my good friend and co-worker traveling back to Indianapolis this week, supporting her daughter and our high school band and color guard at the National's, the major high school band competition. Christina and her husband took some time to see "fall" in the midwest (or is that back east?) and she sent me this picture. 

My niece who attends ASU in Tempe, sent me this desert perspective of the Arizona sky. 

  

Capturing the full moon last night, a glowing ring around it and a smattering of clouds starting to form, a promise of sprinkles made me hope for more. My skin begs for it.   

Today, while leaving campus, the trees clapping and shedding, blackbirds swooping in, unafraid of teenagers, I looked to the Heavens and captured this moment. 

A lesson in a short, beautifully depicted video shared this week in one class, benign of any deep spiritual stand (for that could not happen), encouraged one to look at all that surrounds and take in the WONDER, the specialness. Let's be intentional in recognizing that every day, every moment for some...for all of us, lies a gift. God in His Word said it very clear, "Be still, and known that I am God." 

I agree. While some seemed amazed by this "revelation," this inspirational wisdom, it only confirmed to me what I already know and soak in everyday through God's Word.  No cinemotographer scripted this.  God's Word says it loud and clear. 

Gratefulness births peace. 

Thanksgiving heals. 

Everyday miracles around us, humbles.

The Heavens declare His Glory

And in His Wonders, I bring Worship.  

Thank you Lord, that peace, healing, humbleness, and true worship comes in fluttering fall leaves and the chipper of a blackbird, in the swirling orange sherbert and angel contrails of a desert sky, in the moonbeam reflection of a nightime canvas painted by Your hands, and in the promise of a soaking of Your love, billowed up in graceful clouds framing Your Light, the Light in which I count my blessings and tell of Your Wonders.  Amen.