Thanks Beyond Circumstances

This has been one of those weeks where I have received much bad news from friends.  Cancer, grief, miscarriage, death, moving, and health issues have all made unwelcomed appearances this week amongst people I know. 
My friends facing these issues are believers, and they are facing Thanksgiving with hard circumstances.  As Christians, though, God calls us to look beyond our temporal circumstances and live in thanks for the eternal state of our souls.  As we journey through valleys, we should be able to look up with an eternal perspective and secure hope to see the glory we will enjoy--an existence far beyond the dark, unknown valley we might currently traverse. 
Ephesians 5:19b-20 says, "Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
This verse reminds us that we are to thank God ALWAYS, even when life is hard and painful.  We are also to be thankful for EVERYTHING, as we know God is sovereign and allows circumstances in our life to grow us and form us into the image of Christ.
Christian ladies, as you sit around the Thanksgiving table tomorrow, you might be facing hard, painful trials--circumstances that bring us real tears and pain.  However, our hope is not gone or in vain.  We are still His, and He is faithful.  In the midst of trial, we should shine brightly amongst our non-Christian friends and family, who wonder how we can be peaceful, trusting, and THANKFUL in the midst of very hard circumstances.  What an opportunity to share the hope we have!
Abraham Lincoln wrote a proclamation about making Thanksgiving a national holiday in October 1863.  He called the nation to repent of sin and focus on God's goodness.  Lincoln was focused on thanks, praise and glory to God in the midst of a very painful and difficult Civil War.  In fact, in October 1863, Union forces were not doing well.  The Confederacy had just won several important battles: Vicksburg, Gettysburg and Chickamauga.  Success for the Union looked bleak.  Yet, Lincoln chose this very difficult period of life and presidency to point to God's goodness in the midst of the valley and our need to exalt Him.  He was living out Ephesians 5:19-20.
I encourage you, whether you are in a time of plenty or a time of need, to give thanks wholeheartedly and confidently to God.  Happy Thanksgiving--a day of thanks for the world, and a life of thanks to God to those who are in Christ.

October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

A Word of Gratitude

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

When was the last time you intentionally said thank you to your spouse? I am not talking about a simple "thanks" as he passes you a plate. I am talking about actually thinking about how you can encourage your spouse, picking a time when he can focus on what you are saying and telling him how much you appreciate him for doing x, y, and z.

Ryan and I have a list of thanks on our linen closet that we fill out each week. The thanks is both to God and some to our spouse. I get so encouraged when we read it during our Bible study together and Ryan has specifically thanked me for something I have done around the house or with the kids. It acknowledges my hard work and helps me to feel appreciated. Though I should do my tasks as unto the Lord and not expect a thank you, it sure does spur me on to do more when I know Ryan has noticed my labor.

I am sure we all have plenty of requests and suggestions for our spouse. Make sure you punctuate the day with meaningful thank yous to him as well.

Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.

A New Attitude

I'm packing this week, and I came across an old praise tape I had as a kid--yes it was a tape, circa 1980, so I was happy it was still working. We have great praise music CDs, but for nostalgia's sake, I made a point to put the tape in my car and have my kids listen to it as we were driving. I found myself singing along, praises pouring out of my mouth and heart to God--all to the tune of kids' music. Shortly into the drive, I heard my son's sweet little 4 year old voice picking up the chorus and joining in the song. We smiled, clapped and sang as we drove, arriving at our destination with joy and praise in our hearts. My singing and happy attitude initiated a great morning for my kids.

We've all heard the phrase, "When momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Despite it's grammatical flaws, it is sadly true. Proverbs 21:19 puts it this way, "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." Women, we have a profound influence on the mood and temperment in our home. We can choose to be purposeful in our praise, thankfulness and kindness; or we can choose to be surly, stressed and annoyed. We can reflect the righteousness of our Heavenly Father or the corrupt and rotten desires of our sinful flesh. Either way, our mood vastly affects our husband and kids. Proverbs 15:30 tells us that even a look can affect others. Studying positive influences, it says, "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart."

Considering this, I recently noticed that my mornings were often rushed, frantic and crazy. The problem was that I was trying to get myself ready at the same time that I was getting my four year old and one year old ready for the day. Inevitably, something would go awry, we would end up running late, and the morning would be punctuated with my sighs, frustration and complaining. We would finally get in the car to rush to where we were going, and my kids would both be sulking and quiet in the back of the car--casualties of my impatience and annoyance.

In an effort to adjust my attitude to be righteous and pleasing to God, I decided to get up earlier to fit my quiet time and shower in BEFORE the boys got up in the morning. This has been decidedly helpful. With less rush, I have sinned less in my attitude and words.

Is there a time every day when you find your attitude is habitually unrighteous and affecting your family in an ungodly manner? Do you need to adjust your schedule or make sure you have a time of prayer before a stressful part of your day? Do you need to confess some sinful attitude to an accountability partner or memorize some scripture to help replace a bad attitude with righteous behavior? Have you asked your spouse if he notices a trend in a time of the day or schedule when you are prone to sin in your attitude?

Be purposeful and proactive in dealing with this particular venue of sin. Let's strive to be helpmates with attitudes that reflect the character of our Lord and Savior.

Proverbs 31:12 "She brings him good, not harm,all the days of her life."