Thankful Thursday

Today I’m thankful that God has provided all that I need–for my physical body and IN His spiritual body.

I’m thankful for His provision for my physical body…

…for free meals while I’m working (that mean I don’t have to try to pack a lunch that can keep through a long commute)

…for delicious food waiting in my crockpot after a long (LONG) day of work

…for another cavity-free dental appointment (I love NOT having to pay for dental work!)

…for a fancy new toothbrush that makes it easier to clean my wisdom teeth

…for functional clothing and fancy furbelows to cover me–and make me feel pretty :-)

And I’m thankful for the spiritual body that God uses to minister to me in so many ways:

…for my Dad, who functions as a true spiritual head for me, offering advice and acting on my behalf

…for my sister, who never fails to encourage me in conversation

…for my roommate, who cares and does little (and big) things to let me know that she does

…for book club, and the men (and occasional women) who are willing to exercise their minds together with me over a beer

…for Bible study, and the wonderful women who share their hearts and with whom I can share mine

How remarkably blessed I am to have everything that I need for my physical body–and to be placed into a spiritual body that provides for so many of my other needs.

This week has been a lovely one thus far, but I’m glad to be nearing its end. I’ve been Busy-with-a-capital-B. But amidst the busyness, I’ve had many precious blessings.

Today I’m thankful…

…for book club starting again next week. (We’re reading Leo Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God is Within You–I’m excited to further explore the concept of non-violence, and to do it with this group of believers.)

…for Bible study last night–and all the ladies being patient with my crying (yet again.) What a great group of ladies!

…for Sunday School this past week. It’s been a while since I taught a children’s Sunday School, but I filled in this week, teaching about Abraham and Isaac. Oh how I enjoy teaching children.

…for great coworkers and trainers who are showing me the ropes.

…for Gracie, who misses me and made an appointment to see me tomorrow :-)

…that God supplies all my needs, not by giving me things, but by giving me Himself. How could I live without Him? I just couldn’t.

I’m thankful for the many details that are starting to fall into place.

Today I’m thankful…

…for my advisor’s acknowledgment of the merit of my thesis research (I’m so glad to have her on board!)

…for the approval of my former internship director regarding my immediate career plans

…for the confidence my new boss has in my ability to be an asset to the organization

…for the schedule we’ve been able to work out which will satisfy my employer (and my sister)–and allow me to keep my driving to a minimum

…for a chapter in Bible study last night that reminded again of how much I want Christ to become my supreme treasure.

“The best way to disengage an impure desire is to engage a pure one; the best way to expel the love of what is evil is to embrace the love of what is good instead. To be specific, we must replace the object of our sinful affection with an infinitely more worthy one–God himself. In this way we do not move from a full heart into a vacuum. Instead we move from a full heart to a heart bursting with fullness. And the expulsive power of our new affection weakens and even destroys the power of sin in our hearts.”

~Thomas Chalmers, quoted by Bridges and Bevington in The Bookends of the Christian Life

The same is true even when the object of our desire or affection is good. We all have many good desires–but these desires must not become our gods.

I have tried to change my desires, to adjust my dreams. I’ve begged God to change my heart, my desires, my dreams.

“Just don’t think about it.” I tell myself. “Just give up on it. Just resign yourself. Stop chasing that dream. Stop desiring that. Stop longing. Stop feeling.”

It doesn’t work. I can’t stop longing. I can’t stop desiring.

But I can cultivate a higher desire, a stronger longing, a deeper affection. I can look to Christ and deliberately stir up a longing in my soul for Him. I can whet my appetite with tastes of Him. I can run after Him until my panting soul cries out for the Living Water, the Water that is Himself.

I can cultivate a new affection for God that can then operate its expulsive power upon every lesser affection.

As details of my next career steps begin to fall into place, my soul remains conflicted. I am so thankful for this job, for its provision. There are so many wonderful aspects about it. Yet my desires… my desires are upon so many things that I cannot have. I know not what to do with the convolutions of my heart.

Yet one truth has fallen into place–I must learn to truly love God with heart and soul and strength. I must cling to Him and find in Him satisfaction for my soul.

“My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
~Psalm 84:2

Thankful for a Lazy Day before everything goes crazy!

And for the crazy stuff coming shortly that makes the lazy enjoyable!

Today I’m thankful…

…for a good night’s sleep (it’s been awhile)

…for laundry that seems to getting done more quickly than usual

…for sitting down with a fun book (expect a review of The Homeschool Liberation League in the upcoming weeks)

…for eating potato chips (yep, I bought myself some yesterday–it’s almost becoming a monthly or so habit as my family get more and more concerned about my declining weight.)

…for leftover pumpkin cake from my sister-in-law’s birthday “celebration” (aka normal-Wednesday-night-hanging-out-at-McDonalds-except-that-Rebekah-brought-cake)

…for rain and thunder and green, green grass

…for a chance to spend time with my good friend Joanna on Friday (between her vacation and my starting back up to school and her starting a new job, we haven’t spent time together for at least a MONTH!)

…for a birthday celebration for my Grandma happening on Saturday

…for a family get-away scheduled for Sunday and Monday

…for the lab I’ll be teaching on Tuesday (I always enjoy doing beverages)

…for an interview for a job I’d really like to get on Wednesday (If they were to consider me their best candidate, they’re willing to wait to have me start until January, when my other commitments are over)

…for the job I’ll be starting on Thursday

And that brings me to next week’s Thankful Thursday!

I am thankful for the full life that God has given me to enjoy–and for the empty moments found here and there throughout.

Today I’m thankful…

…that at least one of my professors is totally on my side regarding my thesis.

…that I have wonderful family and friends who take my side (even when I’m doing my best to self-destruct).

…that I have a great high priest who lives to make intercession for me.

This song was in the playlist that woke me up this morning. What a beautiful reminder of the God who, when I was His enemy, paid a terrible price to make me His friend.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Thank You, Lord, for taking my part, for paying the price I couldn’t pay, for justifying this unworthy wretch! I am so in awe of the greatness of the God who would do such a thing for me.

Despite its not-so-great beginning (for any of you who did not have the remarkable privilege of seeing me on Sunday, I was a wee bit morose), I have been having a wonderful week.

Today I’m thankful…

…for Monday’s bike ride and the fellowship I enjoyed with Joanna (I recovered from my little bit of heatstroke by Tuesday–but not early enough to attend book club Monday night. It was the first book club meeting I’d missed, which is kinda sad–but I ended up going to bed at a half-way decent hour, which I haven’t done since book club began.)

…for Tuesday’s news that I have a job! as a TA this semester. (That was an absolute surprise after all the weird events of the summer.)

…for Wednesday’s chick flick and junk food enjoyed with my sister-in-law. (It’s been quite a while since we’ve taken time to be together just the two of us–generally there’s a whole gaggle about!)

…for the apron I was able to get started today. (Since I’ll be teaching a foods lab again, I’ll be wearing aprons quite a bit this semester–and my aprons start feeling old pretty quickly!)

…for the trip to Nebraska City I’m taking tomorrow. (It’s been forever since I saw my friend Tiffany–and I don’t know that I’ve really ever met any of her three kids for any length of time. I’m looking forward to visiting tomorrow.)

Furthermore, I’m thankful…

…for the sweet pickles currently brining in my kitchen. (They’ve given me a blessed something to do with my time.)

…for the $5 per bolt quilting cotton I found at Walmart this week. (To those who have heard me say I’m not buying any more fabric until I use up what I’ve got, I apologize for telling an untruth. Since what I’ve got is scrappy, I figured I’d need some fabric for quilt backing–so really, this is just a way to get rid of what I’ve already got, see?)

…for the MP3 player that’s been entertaining/educating me while making an apron, preparing pickles, embroidering, and the like. (I’ve been listening to D.A. Carson’s audio seminar of “The God Who is There”. Follow the link to get all 14 sessions in MP3 format for FREE. This is a great seminar.)

But wait, there’s still more. I’m thankful…

…that I seem to have recovered my muse (Have you noticed that I’m doing a bit more writing again?)

…that I might be regaining my appetite (It’s still been a bit spotty, but I think I’m seeing an upward trend.

…that whether the seesaw swings up or down, my Center holds. Christ Jesus is my life, my shelter in the storm, my song in the night. In the ups and the downs, whether I feel Him or not, He is there. And His hand is guiding every step along the way.

I haven’t forgotten that today’s a Thursday, no matter how much I manage to make it appear so. I’ve been busy. “Busy with what?” you might ask. Good question. I’ve been busy with the same old, same old, I guess.

See-sawing. Trying to keep busy. Learning to trust. Learning to rest. Learning not to worry. Trying somehow to spend time with people. And remembering that I have much to be thankful for.

Today I’m thankful…

…for the opportunity to be a blessing.

Thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to care for Abigail and Joseph this week. Thank You for the opportunity to lend my car to my brother and his wife for the day today. Thank You that Jamie would want me to be a role model for her daughter. Thank You that even in my weakness, You can still use me to bless others.

…for friendships far and near.

Thank You, Lord, for the friends I spent time with today–one in person and one via phone. Thank You for the precious friends from my past who I am blessed to re-establish relationships with. Thank You for the new friends I’ve made in book club, the friends who so encourage my heart, my mind, my soul. Thank You for my blogging friends, who comfort and encourage with kind words. Thank You for Joanna, for Anna, for Tiffany, for Ruth, for Annette, for Janet, for Sandra, for Kristi, for Chad, for the Jasons, for Brian and Emily… Thank You for the people You have brought into my life, by whom I am so blessed.

…for peace that goes beyond my circumstances.

O Lord, I recognize that worry and anxiety accomplish nothing–yet so often, I choose to worry rather than entrusting my life to You. Forgive me for my unbelief–my sin of not trusting in Your sovereignty, not believing in Your goodness. As I look back over my life thus far, there has never been a time that You have been unfaithful–yet I still so often question Your faithfulness for tomorrow. Forgive me, Lord, for not trusting, not believing, not surrendering my worries to You. I choose to surrender them today, this moment and every moment of my life if I have to. I want to know the sweetness of trusting in Jesus. I believe–help my unbelief.

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know ‘thus saith the Lord’

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
O for grace to trust Him more