Thanksgiving

Let me firstly say, its been a while since I last blogged. These past few months have been a little crazy and I have been trying to juggle several roles which has not always been an easy task, I might add. And I truly missed sharing what is on my heart with you all. Nonetheless, I have been reflecting on 2015 and feel like I have a lot to be thankful for.

I know that sometimes in life, one gets so caught up in routines, one's job or fixated on achieving goals that one forgets to take a few minutes out of the day just to say, "Thank you Lord". I have been guilty of such acts. And in some instances I have let life pass me by without even knowing it. But, what I have learned in these past two months is that we have to purposely decide to overlook all the delays, faults and even to-do lists and let God be God in our lives. He is in control and He knows what He is doing.
And the Word states that IN everything (all circumstances) give thanks. That means that IN spite of the challenges we face, the highs and the lows, we should give God praise. (I.e. you do not need to look very far or hard to find something good to praise God for. You can take a look your own life and praise God for your blessings - that you are alive and well, you have a roof over your head and joy in your heart etc. For it is important that we take our eyes off what is wrong in our lives and look at what is right. Perhaps express our appreciation for others, for the big and small things they do.

So, I have taken the time to jot down a few things which I am thankful for. And I encourage you to put your schedule aside. Look daily at your own life and identify those things or people which you are thankful for.

What am I thankful for?

God's faithfulness
I have realized that sometimes in life, we face challenges and it stretches us...It takes us out of our comfort zone and away from mediocrity. And we may experience discomfort and wonder when will you get used to this?
I am here to say that afflictions do not come to stay. I always find it comforting to know that God is with me through the storms in life and He gives me strength when I feel weak. And in the same manner, He gives you and I courage when we are afraid. He gives us hope when we are feeling hopeless.

I recently looked at Job's life and realized that although he experienced hardships for some time, I noticed that he continued to trust God. That may seem irrational to the world but I would like to believe that deep down in his heart, Job must have known that God is a faithful God. And the Bible states in 2 Timothy 2:13 that when "We are faithless, He remains faithful" which means that God remains trustworthy and truthful even when we are not. For that is who He is. That is His nature. He will never let us down instead He will make good on His promises and that pleases my heart.

Family & friends
I am so very grateful for friends and family as I think they are a great gift. Life is a group experience and friends and family have made my life memorable. They put up with us when we rant and rave over so-called crises. They lift us up when we are down, pray with us and for us. And many times they encourage us to simply endure, persevere and fight to win battles. I am thankful to those who have assisted me on this journey called life. You have been loyal. Your love, presence and wisdom has made a difference. And you have also taught me valuable lessons.

Healing
Recently or rather more often than not, I have had to remind myself that I am a victor and not a victim. And that meant that I needed to see myself as a recipient of God's healing and internalize the fact, that when Jesus healed people, he actually stopped diseases and illnesses from progressing. And in a similar manner we have to put symptoms of sickness under our feet. Take authority! We have to remind ourselves that we are ALL Jesus said we are. So, if he said that I am healed then I am healed regardless of how I feel or what I see with my physical eye. Thus, I put my faith in God and thank Him for the finished work of Jesus. I remind myself that I was healed years ago. And if I was healed then I AM healed and whole. With that said, I would like to encourage you, when you have done all you can, STAND on the Word (Ephesians 6:13) and stand strong knowing that the battle is the Lord's and He conquered sickness and diseases.

Rest
Not sure about you but there have been times where I have felt extremely tired and overwhelmed by particular demands in various areas of my life. And I find it comforting to know that God gives us rest (Matthew 11:28-30). He calls us to come to Him when we are weary and have burdens so He can exchange those loads for peace and rest. And I love what Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint". God will fill us up and strengthen our hearts.

Another thing which I have learned is that we cannot control everything. Life can be messy at times and it is not our jobs to fix everything. Rather we are meant to submit our lives God, let Him take the wheel for a change. For God knows the importance of resting as it is a means to refresh oneself (one's body, mind and spirit). And as a loving Father himself, God rested once He completed all of His work (Genesis 2:2). So are we meant to rest in Him.

As you can see, there are many things we can be grateful for and on that note I would like to know what are you giving thanks to the Lord for today?
What are you praising Him for?

P.S. When you learn to appreciate more of what you already have, you find yourself having more to appreciate. - Paula Cain

Mel ♡♥♡