Gratitude Archive

Our life is made up of changing seasons.  Seasons are used by God to make us grow.  We have all heard that we need changing seasons for plants for grow.  We have fall and winter for plants to go dormant and rest and we have spring and summer for them to flourish and grow.  We are the same.  Read Ecclesiastes 3:2-8

Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 (NIV)
2  a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

In order to have a peaceful life in each season, good or bad, we must understand a few things.  The first thing to know is that we have no control over the seasons in our life and we never know when they will change.  Today we may be living the good life yet tomorrow we will lose our job.  This happened to me last fall.  I missed a request for a proposal for my largest client and was eliminated as a vendor.  This was 90% of my income.

Now when this first happened I felt like a truck had hit me.  What was I going to do for a paycheck?  How would I pay my bills?  After the initial shock hit, I calmed myself and turned to prayer.  I asked God to show me why this had happened and where He was leading me.  I comforted myself knowing God was in control and changing my direction.  Yes I was completely panicked at first but then I knew my faith was in God and His plan.

Another important point to remembered is the changes are often confusing.  Why did I miss the bid opportunity for my client?  Where would my new clients come from to cover my financial loss?  I again focused myself to be patient and not try to understand what was happening.  I knew down the road God would show me why this had happened and it would become clear to me.  I do now see that God was freeing up my time to focus on Grateful Gratitude and obtaining a nonprofit status.  He wanted me to serve others instead of myself.

Recognizing that God has a purpose for each season is critical.  If you wallow in a pity party you will totally miss what God is teaching you.  Every season offers growth and lessons.  The purpose for my loss of income was to get me to focus more on serving than receiving money.  I am so confident of this lesson because since this happened, God has always provided for me when I needed to pay a bill.  Granted I may have only had $10 left over in the  Grateful Gratitude account but He still provided and left more than I actually needed.  He wants me to know to not chase money and serve Him as my only master as I had seemed to have gotten lost.

As Ecclesiastes 2 states above, seasons have good and bad times.   A time to be born, a time to die.  A time to reap, a time to sow.  A time to tear, a time to mend.  God blesses  seasons with positives and a negatives.   It’s a sort of balance.  Just like life offers us love then a breakup,  wealth and poverty as well as health and sickness.  As I lost my wealth I found joy in not overspending and becoming less materialistic. Always look for the two opposites in life because one may come in a different season.  Work in your current season to reap for the future seasons.

It is so important too that you make the most out of each season I learned from Pastor Rick Warren in “The Purpose Driven Life”.  First examine the thought of what can I learn from this season?  I definitely learned to be more humble without all my income and living on 10% of what I was used to.  It cause me to recognize the frivolous things I didn’t need like morning drive thru coffees, a closet full of clothes and buying extra lives in Candy Crush Mania.  Silly things that didn’t benefit me spiritually in any way.

Another thing he emphasized was to figure out what I could enjoy while in this season.  It is shown in the Bible that we have been blessed by God with this life and we should be appreciative for all we go through.

Ecclesiastes 5:18

Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.

It’s key to figure out how to help others during this season.  When I was no longer helping my clients all day long since I lost the account, I looked for others needing help.  I would specifically look for others suffering that would benefit from me giving them a gratitude heart.  I use hand carved soapstone hearts from Kenya bought through fair trade to anchor other’s to God’s love by practicing gratitude.  I found a local charity that helped families that had a child with solid tumor cancer that were going through weekly hospital visits for treatment.  I reached out to the charity to offer a gratitude heart to each family to anchor them to God’s love while going through this process.  My daughter and I held a fundraiser to raise funds for 77 families to receive a gratitude heart.  Focusing on these families in a time of my loss helped me appreciate what I did have and touched my heart realizing that others have seasons too.  It is paramount you act fast and not think about how to help others, just help.

Ecclesiastes 11:4

Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

No matter your season remember God planned that season designed just for you.  Do good and enjoy each season because something fruitful will come from it.

All my love and gratitude,

LoLo

Our podcast related to this blog

http://gratefulgratitude.libsyn.com/transitioning-thru-seasons-in-life

 

 

Jesus taught us to love one another and to love unconditionally.  He also said that this means we must love our enemies too.  In a time filled with passing judgement and criticizing others I wondered if I knew how to love unconditionally.

Since I wasn’t sure I truly understood what the actual words unconditional love meant I decided to study it in depth. I always head to the dictionary first for the definition of whatever I need to learn about.  This is the definition I found for unconditional love. Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations, or love without conditions.  Wow, so it means to love without any other thoughts.

OK so I know I love my family and I love my alone time but I was pretty certain this wasn’t unconditional love.  In my research I found out many interesting things that I believe I knew but was sure I wasn’t practicing.  I would like to share some of my findings with you.  I turned to the teachings of Pastor Rick Warren and his 40 days of love to start my research.

I found that the basic principles of love are stated at most wedding ceremonies.  I had heard them many times yet I had not listened.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (ESV)

I read this bible verse many times out loud  just to listen to the beauty of my words as I recited the passage.  Again I must say how sad I am that I overlooked this true eloquence in previous years.  Let’s look at this phrase by phrase.

Love is patient and kind.  This can be a tough one.  I have been working diligently on being kind no matter what and I have made great progress here but patience is another story.  Patience they say is a virtue and some days I am not very virtuous.  It’s my own fault really because most days I overbook myself leaving me short on time as well as patience.

I heard a story the other day that Zig Zigler once told.  He said there was a man on the bus that was becoming agitated as two small children ran up and down the bus aisle continuously.  The man looked at the children’s father that was staring off into space.  The man asked the father, “Would you mind asking your children to sit down and stop running up and down the aisle?”‘  The father turned to him and said, “Oh I am so sorry, my wife, their mother died yesterday.”  Of course the man felt horrible because he hadn’t considered there may have been other circumstances that led the children to act out of sorts leaving the father distracted.

Once my husband and I were flying back to his hometown of Nashville and a group of people boarded the shuttle with us.  They were celebrating and telling us they were headed to Nashville for vacation.  They wanted to know why we were going.   My husband politely said, “To see family.”  He wasn’t able to say his mother had only hours to live and we were rushing there to be with her when she passed.  I think this is the moment I realized not everyone is traveling for joyous reasons. I became more conscious of my questions to other travelers on future trips.

We don’t know what path others are walking on and we need to be patient and kind because they may be suffering like the man on the bus or my husband and I were.  Love is patient and kind.

We can combine the next six phrases together since they are self serving.  We were also taught by Jesus that we must serve others quietly and humbly.  We are not showing any love when we do something special for someone and the look for gratification from others.  Serving others is what we should already be doing to show our  love to God.  I know people that go out of their way to try to catch people doing something wrong or incorrectly just so they can point it out to others.  Judging and criticizing is not in the Bible as a practice we are to instill in daily life.  No bragging, being resentful or being rude.

When we are burdened with health issues or troubles love support us.  When we cry together, we grow together building support for each other.  Relationships become stronger when you go through the darkest times with others.  When you see others’ vulnerability you see their strengths.  People break down to only be built back up so  then love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things.

Love never ends.  Just like God’s love for us by sending Jesus down to earth, to walk among us and die for our sins we must always love.  God is always with us offering unconditional love without judgement and always with forgiveness.  His love always endures and never ends.

I also learned that love is kindness.  What this means is when you are kinder you are more loving.  When you start seeing others needs, you are able to minister to them causing you to be kinder.  I also realize that when a moment is presented to help someone that I must take the opportunity to help and not think about helping.  God puts moments in our lives for the opportunity to help others and make Him smile.  Practice spontaneous kindness not planned kindness.  In order to do this you must be able to release your fears of helping and just jump into the situation.  God blesses kindness.

Love is forgiving and this may be something we all need to work on.  When you forgive another, you are not minimizing the offense or accepting the behavior.  You are allowing your heart to heal and move on.  A few things to remember is God always forgives us, bitterness makes us miserable and someday you will need forgiven so you must forgive through love.  We need to acknowledge that some people will do premeditated and evil things to us but we must bless them, pray for them and know this is God’s love shining through us.  Jesus said we are to forgive multiple times.

Matthew 18:21-22

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times

The final thing I discovered was how to have a loving heart.  In order to have a loving heart there are three things you need to practice.  First you need to practice things that constantly refresh your health.  This includes 7-8 hours of sleep each night, eating a healthy unprocessed diet and exercising regularly.  I have talked before about the body is the temple for the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit can only thrive in a body that is taken care of.  Second, do things that recharge you emotionally.  Meditate and pray in solitude.  Even Jesus went into the woods to be alone and pray by himself.  And laugh!  Laughter actually produced T-cells which boost our immune system so sit down to a good comedy and laugh away!

I feel most importantly is to develop habits that renew you spiritually. This includes daily prayer and reading the Bible, worshiping weekly and sing your praises to God.  It says in the Bible you should praise God by singing to Him.  Side note, God created you so He knows your singing abilities, sing anyway!

I have grown so much in learning more about love, especially unconditional love.  My heart is warmer and my patience is building.  If you can’t love one another quite yet it’s okay, just walk away and breath and ask God to help you love.  He is there for you and will always listen and help.  This is a practice you build through faith.

All my love and gratitude, LoLo

Our podcast related to this blog

http://gratefulgratitude.libsyn.com/unconditional-love

 

 

As a gratitude coach I always recommend that everyone keep a gratitude journal.  I encourage others to write down three to five things every day that they are grateful for.  I tell them that by creating this habit you will become more grateful but I have now found something much more powerful than a gratitude journal and it’s a spiritual journal.

If you have been reading my blog recently you know I have been going through a forty day journey to find my purpose in life.  This journey was guided by the book by Pastor Rick Warren called “The Purpose Driven Life-What on Earth am I Here for?”    This was a  powerful forty days that transformed my life and allowed the Holy Spirit to work more effectively through me.  Learning about the spiritual journal has also helped me be more at peace recognizing God’s work within me.

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1

I would like to explain what a spiritual journal is and give you an example of what an entry would be for me.  First the explanation.  A spiritual journal is not written in every day but only when you have learned a lesson or lived an experience and you recognize God within that lesson or experience.  You write this down in your spiritual journal so you remember what God has taught you.  It is also a journal you can pass down throughout your family through the generations just like we have the Bible.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD. Psalm 102:18

What you write in your spiritual journal need to be raw and honest yet simply put as to be easy to read.  Write a complete recount of the experience the best you can ans as descriptive as you can.  You may help others learn from your lessons.  Writings can be lessons learned (or revelations of God) regarding relationships, yourself, life or any day-to-day activities God has influenced.

Here is an example of a spiritual journal entry pertaining to me that happened last fall.  I would write this looking back since the lesson wasn’t fulfilled until just recently.

It was last November, just before Thanksgiving.  I was sad and in desperate need of God’s intervention.  There were three issues pressing firmly on my heart and causing me great pain.  One was a set of family members that were having severe relational issues.  They were fighting daily and their house was far from peaceful.  I also found out a family member was diagnosed with melanoma which is a very aggressive cancer.  Lastly I was needing to make a huge financial decision.  I stressed daily about how I could fix these situations.  Situations regarding relationships, health and finances which we all face daily.  Earthly conditions I felt.

I was contorted on the inside thinking constantly about these situations when on Tuesday, December 18th I knew I had to turn to God.  It was around 6 pm when I drew myself a hot bath and began my nightly meditation session.  I was weak, worn out and knew I was a mere mortal wrought with anxiety and worry.  As I closed my eyes to meditate I sunk lower in the warm water and listened to the mediation music.  I was releasing everything else in my mind.  I became the muciscal notes being played on my phone. I allowed the music to circle calmly in my head.

I instantly broke into mindful and honest prayer. “My heavenly Father, I am unsure why I am in this place in my life right now.  Worried and Anxious.  You have taught me to trust you and always put my faith in You.  I am not sure why the enemy is attacking me so fervently to keep my mind controlling the situation instead of turning to You.  I am strong and You are more powerful and almighty than any other thing and I recognize that Father.  I am surrendering these problems to you Lord.  I am removing myself and allowing Your will to be done.  I am following Your plan and accepting the walk You have for me.  I am nothing without You Father.  Please take these issues and comfort my heart that I have the strength to sit silently as You handle everything as You see fit.  Your will, not mine. Amen”

As I surrounded myself with the warm water I slid under the water to immerse my whole self as I rose out of the water I reminded myself of  Jesus baptizing others to cleanse their souls and make them new.  I sat quietly in the warm water as a complete calm came over me.  I heard in my mind, “Do not worry my child for everything will be fine.  Calm yourself all is being handled and will be fine.”  My Father had taken my problems and comforted me to know He is in charge.

I went through December and January staying peaceful knowing God doesn’t break His promises.  Although I prayed constantly  for continued faith and strength to be patient I did stay in faith and trust. I remained patient as I knew that was what God had asked of me.

February came and my family member that was diagnoses with melanoma had been through surgery and mapping for the spread of the cancer.  The test results came back with total excision of the tumor site and only one lymph node being involved.  The prognosis is very good even though there will need to be immunotherapy to halt any new cancer.

The family members with the relational problems seem to resolving the fighting through communications and patience.  They appear happier and also more at peace.

The huge financial decision I had to make was the scariest and had the most ramifications.  On February 12th, I cried and prayed most of the day.  It was one of the most difficult days I have had spiritually.  I knew God put in my heart what needed to be done but since I didn’t know what the outcome would be I kept praying and crying until about 5 pm.  At that time I freed my self  and made the decision that God told me I needed to do.  Crying and praying I made the decision and trusted in God that everything would work out and it did. The resolution that could have been the best was gifted to me by God.   I decided and didn’t look back.  The financial issue is behind me and I am healed of the worry.

As you can see, there is a big difference between a gratitude journal and a spiritual journal.  When you use a spiritual journal and fully recognize in your heart how beautiful God’s promises can be you will live in gratitude.  I do think if you need help recognizing gratitude in your life a gratitude journal can help you develop the practice of being grateful and seeing your life in a better way.  I will tell you this that keeping a spiritual journal is much more powerful and builds your faith and relationship with God in a very special way.  You will be so grateful from your heart instead of your mind.  You will feel God’s loving touch and peace in a much more magnificent way!

If you decide to start a spiritual journal please promise me you will write this on the first page. 

God I am grateful for all the lessons You will give me as I write in this journal and all the love and comfort You provide me through these lessons.

Keep your heart open to God and record these experiences with gratitude and reference them when you need them.  May you feel God’s blessing and love daily in your own life.

My love and gratitude for you reading this blog,

LoLo

Our podcast relating to this blog

http://gratefulgratitude.libsyn.com/gratitude-journals

We are living in a time of violence, hatred and constant turbulence.  We are at war with our fellow brothers and sisters finding fault with everything and everyone.  Nothing is sacred anymore, everyone is sensitive to the point of negativity.

As someone who posts daily on Facebook about God’s Word and His love for us I see the hatred and sadness.  I post for others to be reminded of a bible verse to give hope or comfort.  It is saddening when someone has to comment hatefully about politics and other humans instead of breathing in God’s love.  I would like to address this hatred and unhappiness.

We live in a country of freedom.  A country we can practice religion freely, own our own business, dress how we want, have food readily available and have the right to vote allowing us a say in our country.  We have freedoms other countries can’t even imagine because of the terror, oppression and poverty.  Our daily blessings are things others in other countries have never been able to have and many never will.

I want to go back to September 11, 2001.  A morning most of us will never forget.  A morning that we never thought would happen.  We witnessed a terrorist attack in America that took us all by surprise.  The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others and many others died from respiratory diseases well after the attack.  Billions of dollars in property was destroyed.  We have one of the I beams from the World Trade Center in the George W. Bush library here in Dallas.  When you look at it you literally feel the sadness attached to it.  One day it stood supporting a structure strong and firm and the next day crumbled and destroyed.

I remember the silence that fell over the United States that day and the days to follow.  All flights were grounded, people were stuck wherever they were. There were no cars to rent, trains weren’t moving nor were buses at first.  People that were separated from their families were desperate to get home. Television shows were preempted by news around the clock.  The country’s mood was disbelief and confusion and most people appeared zombie like. The devastation was not only physical to the properties damaged but emotional to our hearts and minds. It was a time like no other I had seen in my lifetime.  JFK’s assassination happened before I was born which I think would somewhat compare to the mood and surprise at that time.

I don’t want to dwell on the negative but instead find the positive in this terrible tragedy and remind us of something that happened.  This is something we should do today and that is to reunite as a nation.

Only a few days after the horrible attack, members of congress stood together in unity for a prayer vigil and to sing “God Bless America” on Capitol Hill.  This moment showed no sides, no republican/democrat division, no race division and no religious division.  It only showed Americans standing together, proud of their country and what it stands for and that we will all be united no matter what.  You can see the prayer service here.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?166031-1/national-prayer-service

Billy Graham spoke and said, “We’ve seen so much that brings tears to our eyes and makes us all feel a sense of anger. But God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.” 

Those five words Billy Graham said is what helped us through, “But God can be trusted”.  These are words I use daily and I constantly pray that others do too.  Trusting God changes everything and changes everything immediately.

What a beautiful country we could be in if we stood together in faith instead of protest.  If we could look to God for guidance instead of our brothers and sisters for blame.  If we could stand together in the most powerful and affluent country proudly instead of tearing it down.

Roughly more than 1.1 million Americans have given their life in wars for the sole purpose of keeping us free and safe.  Please honor those people for we would not be here today if no one offered themselves up for service to protect our rights and our country.  Did you know about .5% of Americans are serving in our military forces each and every day?

I want to encourage us to turn to prayer and trust God.  He has always provided for us when we sit quietly and listen to Him.  If America would sit quietly, listening to God, pray for tolerance and love one another like the Bible states as the second commandment we will be a better nation.

I don’t preach politics not do I discuss politics.  Every American has the right and freedom to believe how they choose.  I only ask that you put God first when forming your beliefs and what He has taught us.  This is what 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

I pray that America takes a deep breath, puts others first and trust completely in God.  When others speak and you don’t agree remember they are children of God and He placed them here for a reason just like you and me.  A pure heart leads to peace.

My love and gratitude for you-LoLo

Our podcast for this blog

http://gratefulgratitude.libsyn.com/fixing-a-broken-country

 

When someone explains something to me the simpler it is the quicker I will understand it.  While on this journey of 40 days to finding my purpose I have found a very simple explanation I would like to share with you.  I will easily explain what God wants from us to fulfill our purpose.  I want you to know these five things if you are on this journey too.

The first thing I learned was that God made each of us for His pleasure.  He wants us to know and love Him and do good.  He finds pleasure when we speak His word, are kind to others and we give all of ourselves to Him.

So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.  Romans 12:1

So the first point to living your purpose in this life is to know and love God.  This means fully opening your heart to God and everything He stands for.  Practicing everyday love, kindness, goodness and forsaking all temptations and opportunities to sin.  This basically meeds living by His laws and not breaking them.

The next thing I learned was that God formed us to be a part of His family.  We of course are all God’s children and that means we are all part of His family as well.  Sometimes we don’t like our brothers and sisters in this huge family but we are called by God to love one another.

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! Ephesians 1:5

So our second purpose is to love one another.  I know there are several people in my own life I have to remind myself they are also God’s children.  Because God has also adopted them into His family I must be kind and loving.  I know as a human with judgement that I must stop myself and find the good in the people I have difficulties with.  I do this by finding three things to appreciate about them.  It may be tough and the things I find may be as simple as the person dressed nicely or maybe they buy coffee for the whole office.  It can be simple but do it as God asked, in a loving and kind way.

The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another. 

1 John 3:11

 

Thirdly God created me to become like Jesus.  What this means is to grow up spiritually.  Jesus has a very godly character and is very generous and humble.  We need to be silent about the things we have accomplished and not boast about them.  We need to not develop a “highlight” reel of our life on Facebook and Instagram.  Yes it is okay to show a fun moment with family and friends but in no way “sell yourself” as special or above others.

Therefore our third purpose is to grow spiritually mature and grow constantly.  This means reading the Bible, meditating to listen for God, share with others even through you may not have a lot to share, lift someone up verbally and share God’s Word.  All of these things will help you grow spiritually and strengthen your own faith.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 

Psalm 1:1-3

Next I learned that God shaped me to serve Him.  You can use the acronym S.H.A.P.E. to remember how God shaped you to serve Him.

S-Spiritual Gifts

H-Heart

A-Abilities

P-Personality

E-Experiences

Lets look at these things.  God has given you spiritual gifts to use to be purposeful.  Here are 7 spiritual gifts in the Bible. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.  These are good qualitities to utilize in your daily living.

God has also given you a good and pure heart.  Unfortunately daily we are exposed to things that muddy our heart and we have to constantly cleanse it to wash away the mud.  If you are having trouble having a kind heart then turn to God and ask for His help to purify it.

You also have abilities to do good.  You can serve as a greeter at church,  donate clothes to local charities or you can do something more skilled.  Say for example you are a nurse and you volunteer at a free innoculation clinic or maybe you are a great cook so you prepare bagged meals to hand out to the homeless.  Your abilities don’t have to be complicated with years of training to do good.  Good can be very simple.

Your personality can also be used for serving.  If you are outgoing you can read to seniors in a nursing home that it may be difficult for them to see print.  If you tend to be shy and quiet then why not work behind the scenes at a local charity stuffing envelopes or information packets.

Lastly you can use your experiences that you have overcome in life to minister to others.  For example maybe you are a cancer survivor and you know the uncertainty that comes with that diagnosis.  You can comfort and help someone who received a tough diagnosis too about the hope and strength that will come from this experience.   Or maybe you have been a slave to alcohol and are now sober, minister to those trying to obtain sobriety like you have successfully done.  Use whatever God had you walk through to strengthen others.  Remove the negativity of the experience to do good and serve.

So our fourth purpose is to serve God by serving others.  When we help others and don’t constantly think of ourselves, God is very pleased.

The last thing I want to talk about is that God made us for a mission.

 Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

God put us here to be His disciple (student) and then to become His apostle (teacher).  Our mission is to learn all we can about Him and share it to those that need to learn about Him.  We are not here for ourselves, we are here for God.

As I move through this journey and strengthen myself and my heart I pray you too feel God’s love, grace and mercy for a much better life.  My love and gratitude for you-LoLo