Tag Archives: Thankfulness

Living Grace

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living grace titleby Lydia Floren

Do you ever feel bogged down? Not by anything external, but by what goes on inside your head?  I know I do. Regrets and hurts sap my strength. Worries and frustrations drain away my joy.

Lately I’ve been figuring out a cool way to get back on track every day, so that I can go forward refreshed and energized:  I’ve been learning to pray GRACE.

Pray GRACE:

Give thanks

Release

Accept

Continue

Enjoy

For example, in the morning I might pray something like this:

Give thanks

Thank You Father, for life that is in me and in the world around me. Thank You for air to breathe, a beating heart, five senses and four limbs. Thank You for the past, present, and future. Thank You for You:  Your goodness, Your commitment to be with me and within me, Your love and care. Thank You for the particular situations that are on my mind, that You work all things to good, that You understand and will lead me in the right way to look at things, and how best to proceed.

Release 

Father, I know I have been carrying around all kinds of baggage, and right now I just want to leave everything right here at Your feet.  I release

  • My self-reliance: when I go my own way instead of Your way
  • Regret for what I have done that may have hurt myself or others, and
  • Any hurt that I am experiencing as a consequence of someone’s else’s actions
  • My habit of beating myself up over stuff. Thank you that you do not want me to live under condemnation, a slave of shame or guilt. That is precisely what you gave your life for.
  • Grudges I am holding against others: resentment and/or unforgiveness
  • Things dragging me down that I’m not consciously aware of: You know even more than I do what those things might be.

Accept 

Thank you for my life

  • Where I am in time and space,
  • My unique gifts and talents, my incredible value, and belonging to you and the family of God
  • The privilege of joining with You to love those around me, and that you use me just as I am, “imperfect” by my own false standards.

Thank You for You

  • You being with me and within me, and never leaving me.
  • That You are committed to me: You have my back.
  • That you are Truth, and You have freed me.

Thank you for the freedom

  • Of your forgiveness
  • From hanging on to hurt, condemnation, and the expectations of others.
  • From fear, as I leave my worries with you.

Thank you that everyday is a new day, that I can embrace with anticipation.

Continue

Help me to continue moving forward in the direction You’ve already led me.

  • According to the plans carefully – and prayerfully – formulated.
  • Utilizing the habit(s) you have led me to establish
  • Keeping the commitments you have asked me to keep.

Thank you that You fill in the blanks of my imperfect efforts with Your perfect sufficiency.

And as I go, thank you that You will show me what  changes you might want to make in those plans, habits and commitments.

Enjoy today

Thank you for the constants in my day:  your love, your presence, your commitment to provide and protect and lead me, your working in this world.

Thank You for the unexpected:

  • The gifts You give me throughout the day:  a beautiful sky, a smile, a connection, a new friend.
  • The surprising ways You work sometimes. ways I don’t anticipate or understand.
  • Opportunities to love and bless those around me.
  • Unique ways You communicate with me through your still small voice, your word, circumstances, your creation, and other people

Praying GRACE – it’s a great way to live!

p.s.  I am really excited about this GRACE model!  I am finding all kinds of applications for it.  Expect to hear more about Living Grace in the near future!  Below is a tool that can be printed on a 4×6 card so you can try Praying Grace, filling in your own blanks. (You can also find this on our Pinterest page)

Take a moment and share with us:  How are you living GRACE in your days?  

grace workpage 4x6

A Note in Your Lunchbox: Giving Thanks in All Things

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note in lunchbox smaller

By Lydia Floren

For years I packed lunches for my husband and kids. Because food is NOT my thing, I tried lots of different ways to streamline this, including making 20+ PB&J sandwiches at a time, and freezing them for the week.  That way, all I had to do in the morning rush, was grab one from the freezer and throw it in a box with a few other prepared items.  Most days, I tucked a card in each lunch with  a Bible verse written on it – a little spiritual refreshment for midday, to go along with the physical nourishment.

Typically, I wrote out these verse cards in the early morning, when the house was still quiet.  As I prayed and meditated, preparing for the day, I would ask God to focus me on one particular verse to share, and if there was anything additional He was leading me to share.  Then I would pull out my stack of blank cards and start writing.  Five cards each day.  Twenty-five handwritten cards per week.

Did those verse cards have an impact on my family? Yes, I know they did for 2 reasons:                 -The kids have told me so. (They still have some of those cards.)                                                        -God’s word is powerful. It always has an impact.

Sure, there were some days those notes didn’t get read.  But other days, they were read over and over again, and even shared with friends at the lunch table. Samuel says he used to pass them around, so everyone  could take a shot at deciphering my handwriting.  (Who knew that my doctor-handwriting would have a positive benefit?)

The Power of Habit

Those cards impacted my family, but what I didn’t realize until years later, was how much they influenced me.  The practice of writing out 25 verse cards a week enabled God’s truths to penetrate deep into my heart. They pop into my head at unexpected – and timely – moments,  blessing me with their God-inspired wisdom.

The Habit of Giving Thanks in All Things

I think there are lots of habits – repetitive choices – that bless our lives, and then keep on blessing us.  They start with small decisions in a moment or day, but their cumulative effect is powerful.  There are several other such habits that have blessed me like this over the years, but one rises to the top:  giving thanks in all things.

Thanksgiving Restores My Joy.

Choosing – repeatedly – to give thanks in all things, changes my perspective.  It shifts my focus, from my problems and weakness, to His sufficiency and grace.  Thanksgiving also changes my attitude. It refreshes my hope in the future, and strengthens my faith in God’s goodness.  Most important, thanksgiving restores my joy. In the practice of thanksgiving, I remember that God is at work, and He does love me and everyone else in the world.

Things to give thanks for:

  • The last 24 hrs. People and events. God works all things to good.
  • God, my loving Father
    • His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
    • His working in my life and in this world, even when I don’t see it.
    • His commitment to me personally, to always be with me – within me, to restore my soul every day, to lead me in the way I need to go.
  • Myself
    • The gift of life, and of this day.
    • My unique identity, value, belonging, and calling.
    • My limitations, and God’s limitlessness.
  • Others
    • Those I know (especially those that are dear to me), and those I don’t know
    • Those I will cross paths with
  • My concerns
    • That God knows my concerns before I do, and he will take care of them, and lead me in the next step.
    • Perspective:  Problems are just opportunities for God’s work to shine.
  • The next 24 hrs.
    • The people and circumstances I will encounter in this day.
    • God’s faithfulness to lead me in the way I need to go.
    • God will work all things to good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Giving thanks in all things,the habit of thanksgiving, is like writing a note for your lunchbox:  a message of hope that seeps into your heart and soul bringing refreshment when you least expect it, and may most need it. 

 Please share with us:  what are you thankful for?

The Difficulty of Blessings

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wheat photo

by Lydia Floren

Blessings can be much harder to handle than hardship. When God blesses us, if we do not immediately (and often) acknowledge that it is Him at work, we can quickly come to believe one of Satan’s whispered lies:

“You know, God had nothing to do with this. You did this yourself. You deserve this.”

We abandon God’s leading and return to our old way of thinking:  God is not good, He does not care.  We reject our growing connection with Him—our focus on following Him– and resort to self-dependence.

“I must do what I think will make me happy, and will make me feel good about myself.” 

God loves to give good gifts to His precious children

So, in good times as well as hard times, it is helpful to remember:

  • What we think will make us happy—pleasure, power and pride—only makes us more miserable. The momentary rush from these things is replaced by long term emptiness and gnawing discontent.
  • When our lives are spent trying to impress or please others–or ourselves–we are enslaved in the worst kind of way.
  • The only way to joy, contentment, peace, purpose, and long-lasting blessing is to follow the Father who loves you more than He loved His own son’s life. And to do so with an attitude of anticipation and trust.
  • That means accepting “no” and “not now” exactly in the same way we accept “yes”: with gratitude, knowing that God IS good, and DOES have your best in mind, and fervently wants you to overflow with joy and contentment and the passion of a high calling.
  • God loves, loves, loves to give good gifts to His precious children. And He knows what is truly good.

God loves you. He really does.

james 1 17 blessingsWhat do you do to remind yourself that God truly has your best interest at heart?

Worth the Wait

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O’Hare Airport: The Ultimate Test of

Patience, Part 4

(Click to read Part 1: The Scramble, Part 2: Cot City, or Part 3: Giving Thanks!)

Pelicans in tidal pools at Hilton Head

We made it to Hilton Head, and spent four glorious days in a room overlooking the ocean.  When we returned, people asked “how was your trip?” My mind immediately went to

  • sunrises over the water,Sunrise over water at Hilton Head
  • walks on the beach collecting shells,
  • discovering an old Civil War graveyard,discovering a Civil War graveyard at Hilton Head
  • biking down flower-lined streets to a secluded park overlooking the bay,
  • wandering out to an isolated part of the beach at low tide with friends, finding sand dollars and conch shells inhabited by crabs,Gathering shells on the beach with friends at Hilton Head
  • eating great seafood at some wonderful restaurants, including low country boil, and some truly wonderful key lime pie, and
  • strolling through Savannah with my sweetheart.strolling through Savannah with my sweetheart

The “O’Hare experience” was a forgotten nightmare only briefly recalled (just a little PTSD) as we passed through Chicago unimpeded on our way back home. Funny thing, a couple of our new/old friends from the original flight were on the plane with us back to Chicago. They were all smiles. They had a great time on their golf trip–36 holes the first day there.

It is amazing how blessings eclipse tough experiences when we let them. We remember what we choose to remember. We remember what we remind ourselves to remember. And what we share with others is either a gift or a downer.

All good things come to those who wait, especially in difficult situations. Being patient is possible when I know that God works all things to good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose. This truth gives me real hope: I can anticipate with joy the good God is doing and will do.

When did you choose to remember the good during a difficult situation?

Hope is anticipating wtih joy the good God is doingBy Lydia Floren

 

Giving Thanks

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O’Hare Airport: The Ultimate Test of Patience, Part 3

(Click to read Part 1: The Scramble, or Part 2: Cot City!)

Beach at Hilton Head

One pair of our travel buddies from Eau Claire, who were going to the same conference we were, were not fortunate enough to actually make it to Hilton Head.  They turned back home after their 3rd connecting flight from Houston fell through (don’t ask).  Nevertheless, Bobbi wrote about her blessings on her Facebook wall, which got me to thinking about my many blessings. So the morning after we arrived I made my own list of things to be thankful for. (Thank you Bobbi, for reminding me to be thankful.)

  • Got to get to know—and bond—with Jeanne, a fellow traveler. What a wonderful person.
  • Some awesome, patient, hardworking airline folks, especially Jill and Lon with United Airlines.
  • Kate from the Westin, who kept our room ready for us, despite >24 hour delays.
  • Two crosswords finished with my husband.
  • Our luggage came on our airplane!!!Birds at Hilton Head
  • My knees and other joints didn’t bother me [always a concern as I gather a few more years], despite tromping from one end of the airport to the other and back again a few times.
  • Exercise.
  • The inner peace and calm I enjoyed almost the entire travel time.
  • My husband’s company, and great care for us.
  • The great sense of humor of fellow travelers, which helped make the long delays more tolerable.Magnolia Bloom at Hilton Head
  • Much to laugh about.
  • The commitment to safety of the FAA, airlines, and airport staff, despite much pressure from us road-weary travelers.
  • My own toothbrush, toothpaste and a change of clothes with me.
  • Carryon bags with wheels!
  • A book on my kindle.Blooms at the beach at Hilton Head
  • Chargers for computer and phone, and a place to plug them in.
  • A great night’s sleep in cot city–thanks to earplugs, a sleeping pill, and my husband-protector, even though we were awoken by a guard at 4am and told to “move along.” (Is this what a homeless person feels like?)
  • I am not a homeless person.
  • An oceanfront room at a gorgeous hotel.
  • Low country shrimp and grits for supper first night, courtesy of Becky and her company.Sunrise at Hilton Head
  • Great conversation at dinner, and of course an audience to share our travel saga with.
  • A shower, a comfortable bed, and privacy.
  • The drum of ocean waves as we slept.
  • Room service breakfast.
  • A quiet day to rest.

1 thess 5 18

When did you give thanks in a difficult situation? Leave your replies below!

Click here to read O’Hare Airport: The Ultimate Test of Patience Part Four – Worth the Wait!

By Lydia Floren

Enjoy the Music, and Give Thanks

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giving thanks for what God has done through us

Love is spontaneous, but it is not random.

God sees an opportunity:  one heart open and willing to give, another heart ready to receive.  His Spirit prompts, and we respond. He uses us “in the moment”, to love and encourage someone who crosses our path.  And we both are blessed.  Occasionally, often after the fact, He will show us what He has been about.  And then our joy multiplies.

In those moments, we must remember to give thanks.  The practice of thanksgiving acknowledges God at work through us, and keeps us from seeing His work as something we can take credit for.  It reminds us that our identity, value, belonging and calling come from Him alone, not from what we do.  We are following our Shepherd in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Thanksgiving assures the continued flow of God’s love through us, toward those around us.

give thanks for what God is doing and has done through us

Enjoy God working through you, but make sure you are directing attention and praise – yours and others’ – to Him for what He is doing, not to yourself.  You are an instrument, not the musician – a violin, not the maestro.  You do not create or play the music.  It moves through you.

If you become comfortable receiving accolades, you will start to think that you don’t need the Maestro.  You might think you can sit and play a ditty, and expect people’s hearts will be touched and changed.  They won’t.

I am the instrument, God is the maestro

Beware of giving yourself pats on the back for God’s work though you. Then, pride multiplies. And a sense of self-sufficiency, and the false belief that you can love, as God calls you to, on your own.   Nothing kills the movement of the Spirit in our lives quicker than this kind of attitude.

We must always be careful to give thanks for what God is doing, and has done, through us.

Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the music, and the part you get to play in sharing it with the world.

And, always, always remember to give thanks.

give thanks for what God is doing and has done through us give thanks for what God is doing and has done through us give thanks for what God is doing and has done through us give thanks for what God is doing and has done through us

A Prayer for the New Year, by Lydia Floren

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A Prayer for the New Year

by Lydia Floren

Instrument of Peace

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

Lord, thank you for loving me through the words and actions of those around me.  Thank you for loving me when you have sent someone to:

  • Lend a hand with a car stuck in snow.
  • Listen to a triumph or heartache.
  • Bring a meal.
  • Give an unexpected gift.
  • Write a message of hope.
  • Speak encouragement.
  • Give a hug.
  • Share a smile.

Thank you that we each have something to give, something that has been given to us, and that we each give to others in our own unique way.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.  Tune and polish me, and then play me with your Maestro’s touch.  Lift a melody of your love through me, for those who cross my path.

Sarah McLachlan – “Prayer of St. Francis”