1. I am extremely thankful for blogging! Here's why: About 5 months ago I was unloading groceries from the car and heard myself say outloud, "Lord, I wish I had a girlfriend to talk about You with!" You see we are fairly new to our community and I've discovered that it takes about 3 years to really make friends and break into some of the circles of friends that are already established. Are you with me? Because of my blog within 5 months of my voicing that desire and praying about it -- not every day -- but many times over the past few months, I have been reaquainted with my old friend, Patty. We haven't seen each other since 1982 or so. I have a new friendship with Leigh. A very strange dynamic indeed, because today she called me out of the blue on my cell phone and I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for decades!! Love it! And, before you think that my friendships are all in cyberspace, God has sent me a unique friendship in Sara. Our children were in Kindergarten together and just recently she and I have begun to get to know each other. Her husband is deployed to Iraq and God has given me some really great opportunities to help her in small ways! I love that God heard the cry of my heart and, in His time, provided me with some sweet new relationships in some rather uncommon ways! I love Him so much for loving me so much!
2. Loving my husband so much right now and thankful for him! I can always count on something to come out of him that makes me laugh. I love that he loves to sit outside and watch lightning with me. That's what we did tonight for an hour or so. What a joy! He is a great gift to me!!
3. I'm so thankful for the Word of God - It really is Life to me! I don't sit and read it all day like I would love to do, but I love that everytime I open it something falls off the page and right into my lap. This week it was II Corinthians 12:9!
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Angela Thomas spoke a word of encouragement over a friend this weekend at a conference where we were leading worship using this scripture. My friend is battling some pretty serious medical issues and just let the mask down and voiced that she is struggling -- with fear, worry, doubt, dread, etc. This scripture is so familiar, but sometimes we stop short and fail to realize that, yes, when we are weak He is strong, but when we let others see us transparent and when we boast in the weaknesses that we are facing or confess them, His power rests on us and we become stronger and stronger. It's not just in being weak that His power is made perfect, but it is in the confession of those weaknesses before others and allowing them to minister to us -- THAT'S when His power infuses us!
4. I'm thankful for "Christmas in July." My choir is going to premiere Travis Cottrell's new Christmas Worship Musical, "All Bow Down" for about 600 Worship Pastors and their families next month. I just found out yesterday that I am going to be able to go. That means I have to learn 15 songs, by memory, in about 18 days!! I'm just thankful for the opportunity to go and worship with my choir. I gave it a listen today and it is so powerful and so worshipful. Pray that I can learn all of this music in such a short amount of time!! And as a bonus, I will see Patty for the first time in 25 years!!! I cannot tell you what that means to me.
5. Lastly, I'm thankful for exclamation points!! Have you noticed how much I've used them in this one post?? I love that my life is full of exclamation point moments. God has blessed me way too much to end my thankful list with simple periods. Oh no, He deserves a HUGE SHOUT OUT!!!!
So there you have it, my Thankful Thursday, random as it is!
But wait, there's more...I'M THANKFUL FOR THIS SCRIPTURE!
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)
Blessings,
Dori
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