Thanks Thoughts

The fall of mankind was, and always will be, because of pride. And from pride stems the lack of thankfulness.

(Photo Credit: Stacy Duplease 2009-2013)

Give Thanks: Keep a Prayer Journal List

Keep a "Give Thanks" or "Counted Blessings" Prayer Journal List.

Daily write a minimum of three new things you thank God for and share them with Him in prayer.

At the end of the year, you would have 1,095 ways you say God, saw His glory, and received His grace.

If you kept 5 items of thanks a day, you would have a list of 1825 blessings at the end of the year.

If you kept 10 items of thanks a day, you would have a list of 3.650 blessings at the end of the year.

Then, imagine doing this every day and every year for the rest of your life. What a blessing you would have indeed.

Updated last on: 08 November 2013, 1255 p.m. 

My Journey with "ONE THOUSAND GIFTS: A DARE TO LIVE FULLY WHERE YOU ARE" By Ann Voskamp

I think I am going to start all over again--
- this blog
-- and my writing.
I want to write about my life journey as I go through this book.

Check out this book at: http://www.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Gifts-Fully-Right-ebook/dp/B003U2TWQ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1383767907&sr=1-1&keywords=one+thousand+gifts

8 An Empty Prayer Life: What am I Missing?

You tell us, Lord, in Your Word, how we are to pray 24/7/365 (Phil. 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We are also supposed to meditate on Your Word night and day (Psalm 1:2).

Always. Without ceasing. Never stopping. All the time. Without fail.

Those words rather intimidate me, frustrate me, and make me question. How am I supposed to do this today when I clearly am not in biblical times? What does this look like?

Lord, You know how many times I have tried to do all of this, and have done quite well at times, but every single time, it ends with me falling down and bruising my rear, and maybe my ego, once again. My poor rear has enough padding it should be able to take those falls, but I rather like to live without pain and misery.

So, how am I supposed to pray without ceasing and meditate on the Word, both day and night, all the time, without stopping?

In the process of trying to find my way in this practice, I end up giving up. My prayer life and my life in the Bible has had more flops than success. My faith is strong, yes. I am in the Word, in prayer, and prayer journaling all day long and throughout the evenings, yes. But, the vibrancy of my faith feels parched. Dry. Dull. My faith has no luster.

WHAT AM I MISSING?

What am I missing? I spend hours in prayer and in the Word, but feel nothing. I keep going, though I don’t feel it. Even though I feel stagnate. And, I feel stagnate in my faith all the time, far more often than not. Yes, I realize how faith isn’t about feeling. Instead, it’s about belief. Right?

That sounds good on paper. And, it’s true… to a point.

Aren’t I supposed to be contented (See Philippians 4:11) in all situations? Well, I am not. And, certainly not in my faith. I want more. Clearly, I haven’t learned how to be content in my faith.

So, what do I have mixed-up and jumbled in my brain?

Well, I came across a verse that I know quite well. I can even recite it to you if asked. I have studied it. I know this verse. Or, so I thought. I read it yesterday and quickly learned how little of this verse I know. I have read it and re-read it, and studied it and re-studied it, repeatedly throughout the years. I even say it frequently. But, I only put into practice one-third of it. The never worrying part, I tend to not do at times and the ‘while I give thanks’ part I have missed.

Here is the verse in one version:

Philippians 4:6--GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

6 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.

{GW: Scripture is taken from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.}

It’s the ‘as I give thanks part’ I have missed. Terribly. Skipped right over it.

Is this my flaw (or one of many)? Is this why I am not as content in my faith as I could be? In my life, I am very content. But, in my faith, I am not.

The truth is, I know it is. I know I have missed this point. And, it’s probably the most important one to miss.

I will come back to this. Bear with me while I go on a tangent for a moment, but it is all related. I will circle bask around to here.

THANKS AS AN OFFERING AND SACRIFICE

In Psalm 50:23, earlier, Lord, You showed me how always giving thanks is an offering and a sacrifice I make to You and bring to You at the altar. It is that important.

So, yesterday (03 November 2013, Sunday), I studied this a bit and wanted to know if prayer is ever mentioned as an offering or sacrifice. I didn’t find it in the Bible. It’s understood as that, but nowhere does it say this. The Word of God only makes this claim about thanksgiving and always giving thanks. This shows how important it is.

CIRCLING BACK AROUND

I think I know why my prayer life and my meditating on the Word has not been as content as they could be or should be. It’s because I have not been always giving thanks as I do them. I haven’t always given thanks as I pray, read the Word, study it, or meditate and ponder on it.

I think thanks is the secret spice that spices up the whole dish. Thanks is what gives them true meaning in our lives. Thanks is what gives everything true, eternal meaning in our lives and makes them holy. Because whatever we thank god for, we have to see and acknowledge. And, what we see and acknowledge is something God has done or given.

Thanks is the spice for my entire faith. Missing this is missing the fullness of my faith.

Is it no wonder why I have had a dull faith?

BUT, THERE’S MORE

Let me break this down into a couple of different parts and get more of a full view of this in Philippians 4. Let’s look at the first part:

Philippians 4:1-7 -- New King James Version (NKJV):

1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

{NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.}

Verses four through seven speak the most to me.

And, let’s look at part two:

Philippians 4:8-13--New American Standard Bible (NASB):

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

{NASB: Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.}

What am I to thank God for? Verses four to thirteen are examples thereof.

Taking one verse out of context in the Bible can work to a point. But, what is forgotten in how within a chapter, as well as within a Book, as well as in a Testament, as well as in the Bible, each verse needs to take all the verses prior to it into consideration first. Then, all of the verses after it. The verses build meaning like building blocks, layer after layer. To take one verse out of context means we miss all of the other prior verses.

We are to rejoice first. Always. Then, be gentle, then do not worry or be anxious. Then , pray. And, as we pray, we are to always give thanks. Then, we will receive the peace beyond our comprehension. Then, we are to think on certain things. Then, we will be content at all times. Then, I can do anything because God gives me strength.

So, prayer and thanksgiving always go hand-in-hand. And, so does meditating on the Word. All three activities that we are to do simultaneously put You first and brings You to the foreground, God.

If I add being in the Word, being in prayer, and giving thanks together at all times, then I have a well-rounded faith that allows me to be strengthened by the Lord.

Wow.

Then, I come to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and all of this is reinforced:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18--New King James Version (NKJV):

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

{NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.}

Ephesians 5:20--GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

20 Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 Always Give Thanks, Be in the Word of God, and Pray: Three Daily Foundations

Written: 05 November 2013

THREE DAILY FOUNDATIONS
As I look back and think back through the Scripture, along with what You, Lord, revealed to me through my prayer journaling yesterday, I realize how there are three foundation's, three bedrocks, three pillars, three essentials upon which every day must be begun, continued, and closed. They are:
1 Always give thanks,
2 Be in the Word, and
3 Prayer.
Our daily lives must consist with all three at all times.
To neglect one is to neglect our faith.

-- Stacy Duplease
Child of God, Journal Keeper, and Writer
Sent from my Fire

7 Where is This Headed?

Lord, I have the feeling I am on the precipice of something really big. Thank You. Please help me stay open to You, Your voice, and Your guidance. Help me hear You very clearly and know what You want me to do and/or learn. Them, help me to respond fully and immediately.

Today is 04 November 2013, Monday, it is 547 a.m. and I thought about how I am on the precipice of something really big last night. I cannot help but think it even more now. It really helps to be informed and study the Word of God. I have learned so much the past three days, particularly what all the Bible, Lord, says about always giving thanks.

It's amazing, Lord, how verses we know well and can recite, how we don't really pay attention to each and every word, let alone apply them to our lives. Then again, it also isn't surprising because when we read Your Word, we read with the lens of the present moment and might need and/or want the stuff from that verse or passage that applies to our lives now. This is wrong. It's called prooftexting and is when we pick and choose from the Bible what we want to read, when, and apply only what we choose to our lives. We, instead, are to take the totality of the Scripture and apply it to our lives.

I have had my eyes opened to more of a godly vision over the last four days and realize how much prooftexting I have done. (Ouch.) Talk about convicting. This is another way I know I am on the verge of something big in my faith. Thank You, Lord, for correcting me and showing me the real way to go in this moment.

6 Learning How to Always Give Thanks

I think the reason why keeping Gratitude Lists or Journals didn't work very well for me in the past was because I never realized it was an offering or a sacrifice I was to bring to You, Lord. This realization changes things for me. I see more with a godly vision now after learning this in Your Word.

I must admit this is a rather large point-of-view changer for me, but in a very good way. I might be a little intimidated by it, though, seeing how it is a sacrament. However, Lord, You have entrusted me with this, per Your Word, so I know I can. Please guide me and teach me how. As it is, I think I have learned a great deal in just the last twenty-four hours. Thank you, Lord, for that.

Always giving thanks takes practice and intentionality. It is not something learned in a day and I think I can learn something more about it each and every day for the rest of my life. I look forward to testing this theory, Lord.

5 Lessons Learned and Blessings Bring Blessing

I am rather blown away by the last chapter and the lessons I learned. It was a surprise to learn the importance of thanksgiving and how I am to give them as offerings or sacrifices. Therefore, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to count my blessings and Thank God for them every day and throughout the day.

NUMEROUS BLESSINGS BRING ANOTHER BLESSING

I just figured out if I write a minimum of ten list entries each day of the blessings You, Lord, have bestowed upon me, I will have at least 250 of them on Thanksgiving. That would be something. I can share some of them, if not all, with Bob. What a neat tradition.

And, I just figured I could have a minimum of 380 by the end of the year.

And, 3650 in a year, 36,500 in ten years, and 146,000 in forty years--minimum. How incredible. What a blessing.

I just offered more thanks to You, Lord, and have 65 items so far. I praise You, Jesus. To You be the glory. I am humbled.

Lord, knowing I am to bring thanks to You as an offering, and am to do it all he time, at every opportunity, I cannot help but wonder if I could list even more. Twenty per day per year is 7,300. Ten years is 73,000. Forty is 292,000.

I am starting to see how each one I write one blessing is a blessing in and of itself.

I can also see how a gratitude list is truly a gratitude journal, for if you do it right, half your list is of blessings from today alone and the other half is of the past. It becomes a true journal of your life--offered to God because He showed you the blessing to begin with.

A counted blessing list is of God-sightings. I have we n God work in, through, and around my life between last night and now in sixty-five different ways. How remarkable. What a blessing.

What a resource I will have if someone ever says to me, "There is no God." Or when someone, myself included, ever thinks God is not present or is silent. I can turn to this list and prove otherwise.

What all this list can provide and answer, I see, is numerous. But, most importantly, it is an offering and sacrifice to You, Lord. I want to show You my reverence and worship You, as well as honor You. Through my thanks, I do.

4 Offer a Sacrifice of Thanks to the Lord

I started to look up verses in a concordance about thanks, thanksgiving, bless, blessing, blessed. And, the first few verses I looked up were those found in this chapter. Let’s look at the first verse:

Psalm 50:23--Expanded Bible (EXB)

23 Those people honor [glorify] me

who bring me offerings to show thanks [thank offerings; v. 14].

And I, God, will save those who do that [go on my way/path].”

*****

{Note: Friend, and fellow thanksgiving and joy pursuer, read this verse in several versions of the Bible before you read from here. Trust me. You want to. This is a good verse and is highly informative. We don’t want to miss anything from it and want to get the full meaning out of it.}

{Another Note: If you have a computer and use it, I have a gem to share with you. Go to:

http://www.biblegateway.com/

In the search field at the top, enter, “PSALM 50:23.”

Go there.

Then, scroll to the bottom of the screen. Do you see where it says, “PSALM 50:23 IN ALL ENGLISH VERSIONS?” Click on that. (Just so that you know, you can only use that feature for looking up one verse at a time.)

Now, in front of you, you will have every English version of the Bible’s version of that verse in front of you. Talk about an incredible resource. For this verse, I recommend printing them out so you can refer to all of them and get as much out of this verse as you can. It’s an important one with lots of facets we don’t want to miss.}

*****

BACK TO PSALM 50:23:

Lord, this verse is a multi-faceted one. Help me to understand it and everything it offers and tells me to do. Help me learn this verse and apply it to my life.

The bottom-line is this: Thanksgiving is an offering or a sacrifice we are to give God.

It is a sacrament.

We are to take it seriously and approach the altar, if only in our mind and usually in just our mind, with this offering and sacrifice: Thanksgiving. We are to offer Him thanks. It is a holy rite and a sacred moment and is not to be taken lightly. And, it isn’t supposed to be ignored. After all, there are several verses that talk about how we are to always give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Ephesians 5:20, for example). Consequently, thanks is our offering and sacrifice we offer God at the altar in our minds and hearts. It is not to be taken lightly or ever taken for granted.

It is a moment of worship. It is sacred, holy, and set apart. It is consecrated.

We approach the altar and bear our minds and hearts to Him as we approach the altar and offer the sacrifice of our thanksgiving. We lay our thanks before Him.

How can I ever look at thanksgiving the same again?

How can I not keep a daily list and offer them at the altar? 

EXB

Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

3 What I’m Starting to Learn

I tend to grasp at every verse, every Bible study, every Christian Living book, looking for answers, for ideas, when a question comes to my mind. Therefore, with the door slammed shut eight days ago today, I started to look all over for answers to the questions which swirled through my mind. I tried this Bible study and that, this Christian living book at that one. I even bought a few. I longed for more. I longed for answers.

How can I find true, deep healing? I knew I had to deal with my stuff, and once and for all, or it would deal with me.

Then, the realization came to mind that well before this latest storm, how for years now, I have wanted to find a way to forever deepen my faith. It’s been this way for over two decades. I want to grow forever deeper in my faith, Lord, and can only do it through You.

I have proof, though, of how this has already happened. Nevertheless, I still feel like my faith is only surface-skimming. I want to grow forever deeper in You, Lord, and in your Word. Is there a secret on how to do this? I keep grasping at a little bit of this, that, and everything holy, as I try to find the secret of this mystery. My faith can grow deeper and deeper because when I am in eternity, I will then know the absolute depths of faith. Therefore, while on earth, in this tent, I can keep growing in my faith.

Lord, how can I grow my faith deeper every single day for the rest of my life, grow closer to You, and find more joy?

The question kept going through my mind as I skimmed book after book, verse after verse, I felt as though I was on to something. But, what? I start to search through my bookshelf on my Amazon Kindle Fire 8.9-inch HD 4G and come across a book that I bought long ago, but never read. I read a few pages until something else sidetracked me.

ANN VOSKAMP AND “ONE THOUSAND GIFTS”

The book, “ONE THOUSAND GIFTS: A DARE TO LIVE FILLY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE” by Ann Voskamp was the change agent in my life. I started to read it three days ago (or was it four?). God, I kept feeling the words nip at my heels whenever I set it to the side. And, this is one of those books I have to set aside often so I can ponder what she said and let it sink in deep into my mind, heart, and soul.

I’ve even mentioned it here and there to B. That’s usually a sign when something has started to grip me. At this point, I am only 21% of the way through the book and I’ve been changed. Thank You, Lord, I’ve been changed. I keep getting weepy because this book has touched me so deeply and thoroughly.

I cannot recommend her book enough. In fact, get everything she has ever written, in every form you can. I have the devotional and Bible study. I also got her Christmas book I will start to read after I finish this book. Unless, I stop so often to get through this book, I realize I will need to stop reading it so I can get through the Christmas book, “THE GREATEST GIFT: UNWRAPPING THE FULL STORY OF CHRISTMAS” by Ann Voskamp. I even ordered a perpetual calendar. I think I will buy this book for the women in my lives for Christmas this year. Nevertheless, I think men would get a great deal out of this book as well, please don’t misunderstand.

I’ve been changed because of this book.

I started to think about thanksgiving. Sure. It’s the perfect time of year right now, the season of Thanksgiving. Today, as I prayer journal this, is 03 November 2013, Sunday. My life-changing storm eight days ago is another reason. The Bible says repeatedly how we are to offer thanksgiving to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:20-- Expanded Bible (EXB)

20 Always give [ …always giving] thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Question: How often are we supposed to offer thanksgiving to the Lord? Is there an exception or a time when we should not? (Can you guess?)

Answer: We are to offer thanks always, at all times, in every season, for whatever reason.

Huh.

Always. That means without exception.

Oh, boy. Conviction sets in. Sigh.

I give thanks sometimes. I catch glory sightings from time to time throughout my day and week. These glory sightings are blessings. They are times God reveals His glory to me, in which He is revealing Himself to me. But, the question was and still is, how many do I miss?

Years ago, thirteen or so I would say, there was a fad in Hollywood where people were keeping Gratitude Journals. For once, Hollywood did a good thing. The only problem was they didn’t give God thanks. They threw it out to the universe. I tried it, but didn’t get much out of it, and surely didn’t look at it as much as I could from the biblical standpoint, and haven’t tried it since.

Nevertheless, I have tried to keep a list here and there. I still didn’t get much out of it. So, what makes this different? How will it be different and successful this time? And, what defines success anyway?

I could, and can, tell a difference in Ann Voskamp, just through her writing of how much this has made her who she is. She’s been doing this since 2008. This caught my attention. The more I read her words, the deeper I am impacted by her, her writing, and the concept of “ONE THOUSAND GIFTS.”

It got to the point two days ago where I had to start to try to keep a list. That list got tossed to the side. It wasn’t working. It was all wrong. I didn’t feel it.

However, something else started to happen. Even with the list that didn’t work. I started to feel a deeper healing from the storm eight days ago.

‘Interesting. Why is that?’ I remember thinking to myself as I chewed on this on and off for twenty-four hours or so. I will get back to this question in a moment.

Let me clarify something. No. I do not want to emulate her and write a list because she said so. No. I don’t want to write this book like hers either. She has had her journey and I have mine. They are different because hers belongs to eh and mine belongs to me. However, I can sure learn from her. I can listen to what You, God, want me to do with this material and lessons I am learning. So, I want to try my own list of thanksgiving and I want to try to write about my experiences thereof.

That being said, this book, and the idea thereof is because of her. God used her words, and is using, through a very painful time in my life. Welcome to my journey—thanks to this beautiful, Christ-Follower.

It’s rather ironic, though. She has six kids. I would give anything for one. She has six. Am I envious? Maybe a little. But, reading this book right now, knowing this, and of the times she refers to them, should be painful. But, it isn’t. Again, she has her journey with You, Lord, and I have mine. I cannot be jealous of any journey. They have theirs. I have mine. Each is God-ordained and chosen. So, there is nothing to be jealous over. Also, I cannot get sad over everything that mentions kids. I would have to live in a hole or paper bag if I wanted to avoid babies and kids. Instead, a joy shared is a joy doubled. Her joy in her children can feed me a little as I share in her joy.

WHAT I’M STARTING TO LEARN

Why am I feeling a deep healing occurring, simply because of “ONE THOUSAND GIFTS” and because of my thanksgiving list and thinking on it? Do they go hand-in-hand? Or, are they separate?

I am starting to see and learn how they go hand-in-hand. Giving thanks brings a healing. At this point, I will not lie. I have no idea why, but the change in my life is proof therein. Giving thanks is a healing balm.

I listened to session one of Ann Voskamp’s Bible study for her book and it got me thinking about new material for me to prayer journal and share. I got a couple of pages typed up and that was when I realized that this is what I was meant to do. Maybe it was always what I was supposed to do:

1 Keep the counted blessings list.

2 Write and teach about thanksgiving.

Then, last night, I started a new list and it started to sink in and feel right. I found several things in my life, and from the day, to thank You for, Lord. I got them down on the page. However, it is what I started this morning that I started to write numbers 26 and on and things started to really speak to me and feel right. This was the answer I have searched for for all of these years.

How simple.

Give thanks.

(Thanks Ann Voskamp. Your writing is number nine on my list of 51 so far.)

EXB

Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 The Death of an Almost Forty-Year Dream on 26 October 2013, Saturday

Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us easy lives or easy journeys. Sometimes, though, doesn't it feel as though you've had more than others? Until you hear something or see something, another story, and it reminds you how your story isn't so bad. And, that is considering your latest blow, when you were blindsided by something which ultimately changed the course of the rest of your life.

Eight days ago, I had one of the life-changing, bring me to my knees moments, along with my husband, B. I am almost forty, and he is older. He is my one and only best fried, so I like him as well as love him. We have been together for twelve years now and have gone through some tough stuff. Really tough stuff. It has been those times that have defined who we are as a couple and as individuals.

We got the news eight days ago, how despite our best efforts, IVF didn't work for the second time and we were not candidates for any further cycles. We would not have our own kiddo. The one I have prayed for and dreamed of every day for nearly forty years. I will never know the blessing of You, Lord, creating a life in my belly. Feeling it grow and move. I will never know what it's like raising the kiddo to be God-fearing (revering) and Christ-following.

The pain was and is tremendous. We are both only children, so this adds to the pain for our family generations. It is the end of our family lines in the conventional way. There are other ways to have a family. And we know they mean no less. The unconventional ways usually mean more. We know this without doubt and to the depths of our being. Family is far more than blood. It is choice.

The worst part is we both knew without a doubt You, God, told us to do IVF the first time. Then the second. You told us both times, strongly, we would be successful. We weren't. So, did we hear You at all? Or did we hear what we wished we would hear?

Quadrillions of questions swirled through our minds then and now. Why, Lord, were You trusting us with such a test? And why now? And what now?

Every plan for the future included having a baby and raising them. And, of course, enjoying our marriage and one another immensely and some traveling each year. Now, we/I needed to change the plans. Not the marriage enjoyment and traveling plans, but the rest. Our four-legged critters are what we will have, at least for now.

One of the biggest blessings, though, has been how from the very moment we got the news, I didn't come undone emotionally as I normally would have. I usually am a wreck for a day, then find the logic in the situation, and bounce back. But, this time, I bounced back immediately. My heart was broken, but I trusted You, Lord, that Your plans are perfect. You know what You are doing. The answers would come in time. I just need to wait and trust. So, I have and am.

When did I get so solid in my faith? This comes as quite the surprise to me. I cannot stress how big of a moment this was and has been for the last eight days. I have no idea when it happened, but I finally surrender my all to Jesus Christ. I trust God with my life and my eternity. I trust that He knows what He is doing, when He is doing it, though I have no idea why and most likely will never fully understand the wholeness of the why until I am in the New Heaven in eternity.

But, seriously. When did I grow my faith to be the one like my Granny’s. No one I know has a faith like hers. It’s a familial thing. I can trace back to well before my ancestors from her side of the family lading here in Roanoke and in Jamestown. Each generation has been one of faith.

My Granny has a faith I have always wished I could emulate, even in a very small way. If it was even in a small way, I knew without a doubt I would be a woman with remarkable faith. Well, it seems like I am finally growing to be that woman of faith. How many hard times and life challenges did it take? How many times did God have to bring me to my knees? How many? Too many. But, I thank God for every single one of them.

There has been something else I have realized in the last eight days. Every single one of my plans have failed during my life. And, thank God. Thank You, Lord. Your plans are by far the best and are more than I can hope for or imagine.

You’ve got this. I know it. No. I really, really know it. I know it deeply. I know it deeper than anything I can ever grasp. Yes. You’ve got this moment. While it’s massive and life-encompassing to me, it’s small compared to you. If You can take care of the sparrow, how much more will You take care of B, me, and us (Luke 12:7). Just like You’ve taken care of all the other moments in my life.

Lord, thank You for the change in me and the deepening of my faith. I could not have done it without You. Help me to continue to grow in You.

{Written: 02 November 2013, Saturday, 829 p.m., Family Room, Sofa, Typed Journal, Day 2 of NaNoWriMo and on 03 November 2013, Sunday, 835 a.m. in Family Room on sofa and in study typed prayer journal at 10:09 a.m.}

Think about it: Your Thanksgiving List

If you started to keep a thanksgiving list of ten items per day between now and Thanksgiving you would have 250 items on you list. Imagine what you could share at the table. They are two hundred fifty ways God showed His glory in your life.
How could sharing even ten of them change the lives of those you tell them to? If nothing else, they would be more apt to start paying attention in their day to see what God is doing.
Then, imagine one year from now, you would have a minimum of 3,650 items.
How could your life ever be the same?
Imagine how on a bad or tough day, you could look at that list. And you can even return to your list and look back on the days when God seems far away.
Then, imagine after ten years, you would have 36,500 items on your list.
For me, I have about another forty years to live. That is 365 x 10 x 40 = 146,000.
What about giving a copy to every one in your house each year, or those closest to you, as a gift?
Think of every good thing that could come from this.

-- Stacy Duplease
Sent from my Fire.
Blog: agodlyvision@gmail.com

A Daily List of Blessings List

Add to a list every day of at least ten blessings you count in your life today and from the past. Make them new and unrepeated from earlier items. See how many blessings you can count for the rest of your life.

-- Stacy Duplease
Sent from my Fire.

1 What’s the Secret of Life?

 

What’s the secret of life?

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve missed it somehow. There’s always this sense of something more and of something different. It feels like there should be more to this existence than what I’ve found. There’s got to be more to life than this. There’s got to be more to life than a getting by existence. There’s got to be more than busyness.

What really matters? How do I live the best life possible? How do I live smack-dab in the middle of God’s will each and every day, all day long? And, Lord, how on earth do I stop this pain? What about this emptiness? Why can’t I get enough? Why am I always getting so side-tracked?

Why am I not getting enough out of my prayer life? My Bible reading? My Bible study? My life?

What’s wrong with me? My life is a good one. I count myself blessed. But, I feel stuck.

Questions are forever bubbling up inside of me. How do I find the answer, the Answer, once and for all?

Somehow, it all seems connected, doesn’t it?

What is the secret?

Is it different for me than it is for someone else?

How can I find the beauty in my life, even on the not so beautiful and dark days? And, how can I find such beauty, sacredness, and wonder that others find it catching from me?

The answer is Jesus. Yes, without a doubt. The Answer is found in Him and in the Bible. Yes. No doubt. No question. No arguments either. However, how does my faith in Jesus Christ, and in the Bible, provide me eternal life today, where I am, and what does that mean? In other words, how can I find heaven on earth? How can I live fully in the present? How can I live an intentional life that finds the beauty in the small stuff and in the big?

How can I heal from this wound? How can I let go? How should I live? How can I find wonder in my life? How can I find joy? How can I slow down and find the peace and joy that I am aching for?

How can I fully live today in the midst of a trying, busy, challenging life? How can I fully embrace the grace God has given me and live for eternity today?

How, Lord?

Can I?

How can I know the full and abundant life? How can I know You fully on this earth, Lord? Can I today?

Show me the way, Lord.

WELCOME

WELCOME

Welcome to my journey of learning the secret of how to live a full, abundant, eternal way of living life through a very challenging time in my life. This is my story, sure, but it is far more than that. This is my prayer journal, but it’s more than that.

This is a book for you to learn how to live a life of joy and a fullness of grace in our life today—not tomorrow. It is attainable. It just requires some intentionality on our part. We can live a for God in a whole new, deep way.

His love endures forever. Even when we don’t feel it. Even when a trillion questions swirl in our loud minds and busy lives. How can we grab hold of this, remember it, and live it?

1 Chronicles 16:34--Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB):

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His faithful love endures forever.

Let us pray for a godly vision, which is eternal and infinite, so we can stop seeing from our finite, sinful eyes which are so limited and limiting.

And, let’s pray we learn what it means and how to always give thanks. This is the game changer, after all. This is the answer. This is the healing balm of our lives.

THERE ARE MORE BOOKS PLANNED FROM THIS BOOK AND FOR THIS SERIES

This is the first book in a series of books about always giving place. There will be a devotional, prayer journal, Bible study, and more. Stay tuned.

HOW YOU CAN CONTACT ME AND WHERE TO FIND ME

I would love to hear from you if you read my story and if it speaks to you. What does this story do for you and your faith? What does this story do to change your life? Your perspective?

You can find me and my blog at: http://agodlyvision.blogspot.com/

And my email is: agodlyvision@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

New Book Cover