Thursday, August 8, 2013

Thankful Thursday... Choosing Joy


Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


This call we have seems to me to be something we have to do intentionally.   Think about these words... rejoice always (always?), pray constantly (constantly?), give thanks in all circumstances (all circumstances?).  This does not come easy for me... or for anyone I know for that matter.  I think it goes more like this in our lives "rejoice sometimes (when I feel like it), pray sometime during the day (unless I am too busy or too tired), give thanks when I get what I want or when things go my way".  Living out these words truly is work... a choice... trust... belief...

I wish I could tell you that it always comes easy for me... that with practice, it will become natural to do these things.  And while I do believe practicing these disciplines does change us;  it will always be a battle between who were are and who we want to be.   God knows our hearts... I think that is why we have these verses.  He knows on our own, we are fickle... we act on our emotions... and we grumble... we fall and we forget.  The good news here is that as we daily start again, we are grown more and more into who the Lord wants us to be.  So, here I am remembering so many things to be thankful for...


 twenty years ago, I married my dear husband... we have seen much joy and sorrow, plenty and want, sickness and health... and the Lord has been faithful... knitting us together...

 
"a cord of three strands is not easily broken" Ecclesiastes 4:12b




for our 20th anniversary, my husband surprised me with a getaway to a beautiful inn...
totally unexpected and so wonderful... I didn't even need to plan childcare... he took care of it all







isn't the room so pretty?  we don't go away often and this was such a blessing!
We enjoyed a scrumptious brunch the next morning...


earlier in the week, I took a walk with my youngest while we were on Cape Cod for the day...
we saw this adorable bunny       

 
 
we also saw this boat... the scene was so peaceful
 
 

 
and then this view of the water...
 water is always so calming and I find it hard to be stressed looking at views like this
 
 

 
 
 
then we had dinner on our porch on the day of our actual anniversary...
sometimes it is moments like this that are the most joyful
 
 
 
 
 
our youngest, bought us this cross as part of our anniversary gift...
the thing that made me tear up is that each year we have a verse of the year for our family...
 one that I feel the Lord has for us... the verse on this cross is our verse of this year... she got it at the local dollar store because when you are 11, you don't have a lot of money & that is where you shop...
she told me they had two crosses there and that she thought for sure this was our verse of the year...
I don't believe in coincidence... truly a God-moment 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Each time I am thankful and rejoice, my heart is glad and I see more and more the many ways I am blessed.  I hope you will try this too... in doing so, you are choosing joy!
 
Praying you have many blessings and much joy!
Kristen

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