Category: A Season of Thanksgiving

The Paths of Thanksgiving

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, A Season of Thanksgiving, Holiday, How Great is Our God

You would think, after all Jesus has done for us, including the ultimate price of His death for salvation from our sins, our lives would be overflowing with thanksgiving.

But the truth is that we grumble and complain about things just like everyone else does. We might go to church, and try to avoid the “big” sins, but our life is not very different from others around us.

Let me share a few reasons WHY you should be thankful:

  1. Thanksgiving Paves the Paths of His Presence (Psalm 100:1-5, Colossians 2:6-7) When we express our thanks to God we are coming into His presence, and letting others know Who we stand with. We are identifying with the Lord when we spend time praising Him. Being thankful is one way to show that you are a Christ-follower!

  2. Thanksgiving Paves the Paths of Protection (Romans 1:21-32) Verse 21 starts a long, sad list of many sins. But did you notice the one at the beginning of the list? “…Neither were thankful…” All of these horrible sins grew out of an unthankful heart. When we are thankful, it protects us from other sins.

  3. Thanksgiving Paves the Paths of Peace (Philippians 4:4-7) As we bring our prayer requests to God, thanking Him for all He’s done for us, He fills our hearts and minds with His peace. This world doesn’t offer much peace, but the Lord does, as we express our thanksgiving to Him.

So, celebrating what we’re thankful for isn’t something that should happen just once every November. It is something that brings us into God’s Presence and provides us with Protection and Peace. Let’s spend the next year sharing our thanksgiving to God every day!

In Him,

Alesha Kay

When You Are Feeling Shattered

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, A Season of Thanksgiving, How Great is Our God, Just My Thoughts, Thoughtful Thursday, Uncategorized

“God said, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee,’ for in your weakness My strength is made perfect. In your brokenness, My light shines forth. In your affliction, My power flows out. In your brokenness and insufficiency, My sufficiency is evidenced. In your lack of power, My power is seen.”

“Many times those who are unbroken sit in judgment of those whom God has broken. He has shattered them and leveled them and taken all their pride away. Now they are more useful than ever. Instead of us praising God for His grace and the usefulness, we sit in judgment of the shattering experience.”

“Those that have broken hearts and shattered dreams, those whose lives have been leveled, make the best servants of God because they realize that they have nothing of their own.”

“God can get more glory out of you when you praise Him in brokenness, than when you praise Him on the mountaintop. Anybody can praise God in the good times, but when you are broken, your will is broken, your life is broken, your dreams are shattered, and you praise God, He gets more glory.” (excerpts “Weathering the Storms of Life” by Dennis Corle)

 

In this season of Thanksgiving, even if you are broken and shattered, give God the glory. He is preparing you for great things when everything that YOU are is out of His way to make room for all that HE is.

A Season of Thanksgiving – Day 30

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, A Season of Thanksgiving

 

Today, on this 30th and final day of our Season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my dog.

Kepler has been good for our family, from the moment she arrived.

Earlykep

She was cute and tiny and cuddly and sweet-natured.

Kepharness

She and Isaac were buddies right from the start.

Kepandike

Her energy inspired us and entertained us.

Happygirl2

Even during her awkward adolescent days, she was well behaved and a joy to have in our home.

Adolescentkep

She adored Newton and learned everything she knows from him.  He was definitely the alpha dog in our house. 

Newtkep

Now that he is gone, she does not try to fill his role.  She's remained balanced and gentle.

Adorapup

She is, however, a fierce sentinel, just as Newton taught her to be.

Kepsentinel

She is a real joy to me, and often lifts my spirits and her face always makes me smile.

Kepchristmas

Do you have a pet that has been a real blessing to you?  If so, I'd love to hear about them in the comments.  Wasn't the Lord so kind to think up animals for us? 🙂

Thank you so much for joining me on this month-long journey into Thankfulness.  I have enjoyed taking the time to think on and give thanks for the things God has blessed my life with. 

I hope that you were able to take some time this past month to do the same; and I pray that along with your spirit of gratitude, you sensed a peacefulness settle over your heart as you recognized the incredible goodness of God in your life.

And now, I am looking forward to celebrating the Christmas season with you!

Merry Christmas,

Alesha

A Season of Thanksgiving – Day 28 and 29

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, A Season of Thanksgiving

Day #28 – Yesterday, we were extremely thankful for the many medical experts that we deal with, day in and day out, throughout the entire year.  We have come to know many nice, knowledgeable folks who work very hard with us to keep Isaac happy and healthy.

I am especially thankful for the precious therapists and workers at Ability Plus Therapy in Melbourne, Florida.  They work with Isaac for 3 hours every week, keeping him as limber as possible, helping him overcome his sensory issues and encouraging him to communicate with folks around him.  They are always a real blessing to us!

Day #29 – Today I am thankful for technology.  I know…there are days when it seems to take over our lives, doesn't it?  And we have to be careful to not allow it to take the place of activities that are so much more important. 

However, the proper use of technology makes my life so much easier.  I can complete projects in my home that, years ago, would have been done in a print shop.  I can keep in touch on a daily basis with my friends all around the world.  I can choose what movies I watch, rather than only being able to see what is offered on the networks.  I can look up cool, interesting information that would have needed an up-to-date set of encyclopedias back when I was a kid and never had an up-to-date set at my disposal!

OH, and I am very thankful for my Kindle.  How did I almost forget that???  I love it and think it was a brilliant invention!  By the way, there are some really great devotional books available for the Kindle.  I have enjoyed several of those, along with the other freebies I am constantly snapping up.  It will take me a year to read them all, even if I stop adding them today! LOL!

If you had to name your FAVORITE piece of technology, what would it be???

I especially liked the thermometer they used for Isaac at the hospital yesterday.  They just waved it over his forehead and down the side of his face.  How great is that?!!!

I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Alesha

A Season of Thanksgiving – Day 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 & 27

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, A Season of Thanksgiving

Whew – how's that for a title?!!

🙂

 

The 22nd was Thanksgiving Day, and I was so incredibly blessed and thankful to spend the day with my family.  We shared a wonderful meal and LOTS of laughter!  It was really, truly the PERFECT Thanksgiving Day.

On the 23rd, I was grateful for Divine Strength and pain relievers.  Doug was sick, and in the bed, the entire day.  That means that the clean up from Thanksgiving dishes and all of Isaac's care was on my shoulders.  I really thought I might collapse in a puddle of tears before the day was finished.  But I made it through the day, due to the quickly-sought prayers of my FB buddies, proper supplements to boost my system and pain reliever in the form of Arnica tablets.  I had never taken them before, but am a HUGE fan now!  I've even taken them for a headache since then, and they worked extremely well.

On the 24th, I was feeling so thankful for the Nativity.  We started putting up our Christmas decoration, and I always start with my many Nativity scenes, which only seems appropriate.  That mind set, of honoring Jesus' birth first, helps me throughout the entire holiday season.  I will be sharing my Nativity sets in another blog.

On the 25th, I was thankful for shared laughter.  I was able to spend a few short moments with several friends at church, and it seemed we all had a funny story to share with each other.  It was nice to throw our heads back and laugh, guffaw, giggle, chortle, roar, snicker and whoop with one another!

On the 26th, let's see…that was yesterday, right???  Oh, YEAH – I was feeling MUCH gratitude for birthday money and the postal service!  I received THIS in the mail:

 
Vb

On the 27th Day of this Season of Thanksgiving, I am so glad and thankful for my brother, Phillip!!!  He is a good friend to us, but he is also a good friend to Isaac.  He keeps his eyes and ears open to things that he thinks will help Isaac's life be better. 

Just this week, I made a phone call about a "cherry picker" for our van.  That is a little lift that will be attached to our van, and will pick up Ike's wheelchair and put it into the back of the van.  Isaac will not be in the chair, but it makes one less thing that Doug has to heft up into the vehicle!  Won't that be so nice???  And best of all, the lift has been donated to a local business and there will be no cost to us!

Oh, and Phillip is also the one I call when the dryer smells funny, or the frig is leaking, or when we are out of a/c filters (they are a funny size), or when there is a strange man outside the house when Doug isn't home.  He was also our "go to" man for years when our old truck wasn't working right.

For Thanksgiving, Phillip smoked a lovely turkey and 2 gorgeous pork roasts.  It was a fabulous, scruptious addition to our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

He has blessed our lives in so many ways, and he is a good brother and we are proud of him. 

 

Well, only a few days left of this special Season of Thanksgiving.  It has been a good month of reflection and gratitude.

Tomorrow, Isaac will be having oral surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.  We'd really appreciate your prayers for a successful, problem-free surgery and a good recovery. 

Wishing you a day full of blessings to count,

Alesha

A Season of Thanksgiving – Day 21

by ObtainingMercy, posted in A Door of Hope, A Season of Thanksgiving

I am really, truly, madly, deeply, passionately THANKFUL for my husband today.

He is my best friend.

He is my favorite person to be with.

He inspires the best in me, and forgives the worst.

He is an amazing, incredible, nurturing, accepting father to Isaac, and that fills my heart with joy every day.

Doug dreams BIG, and often scares me with the size of his ambitions; but I know he waits for God's lead and follows unerringly, so I can safely trust him to lead our family into God's will.

He also encourages MY dreams, which pale in comparison to his; but he knows they are important to me, and pushes me farther along than I would ever venture on my own.

I do not deserve the gift that he is, but I am grateful for him every day.

I hope you have a special someone in your life who is a tremendous blessing to you, too!

Blessings,

Alesha