Faith

I walked into the church service with a weary, burdened heart.

On top of just moving to a new state with no friends or family nearby, I’d woken up with a full-blown cold and partially locked jaw. And as the morning progressed the pain only intensified.

Once we found a spot to sit in the sanctuary, I silently prayed the words of Luke 22:42 as the worship band began to sing. “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.” But my heart was not in the right place. For when the worship leader said, “won’t you stand and give thanks to our great God with me this morning?” the only thought that entered my head was yeah, right, like I have anything to be thankful for with all the pain I’m going through.

Ouch.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the selfish, ungrateful, ugly side of me. The side where my spirit gives way to my flesh. The side where I let lies overtake truth. Because of my faith, it’s a side that comes out rarely. Nevertheless it is a part of who I am and I cannot hide it. We all have a human side to us, a dark side that can be easily clouded by sin. Maybe your dark side is jealousy, maybe it’s materialism … or maybe, like me, it’s an ungrateful heart.

But God is so full of grace, and in  my moment of ungratefulness I heard him whisper to me, “dear daughter, my grace is sufficient for you.” His words instantly reminded me of all I have to be thankful for. I prayed once again and asked the Lord for forgiveness for my ungrateful spirit.

Even if nothing in life is going as we want it to go, we always have a reason to be grateful because Jesus died for us and showed us grace! Maybe you can’t run as fast as you used to run, maybe your boyfriend broke up with you unexpectedly, maybe you can’t afford those shoes you want  oh-so-badly, but Jesus died for you so that you may experience life to the fullest (John 10:10). And that is reason enough to give thanks.

We have breath. We have life. What a precious gift this is!

A few months back I stumbled upon a post on gratitude by author Jeff Goins where he encourages readers to create a gratitude list. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I want to encourage you to do the same this week as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Make a list of 10 things you are thankful for in life. Then, tape it somewhere so you can be reminded of it often.

Hopefully after making the list you can see, like me, just how blessed we are. We are blessed to be a blessing and given much so that we can give back. Let us not forget just how blessed we are and let us share the grace our Father extends to us with everyone this holiday season.

P.S. Here’s my gratitude list to help get you started.

1. I am thankful my heavenly father lavishes me with His love and grace everyday, even when I am ungrateful.

2. I am thankful for my loving husband, who supports me in cultivating and following my passions. (And who also let me get a dog!)

3. I am thankful for a faith-filled family, who taught me the importance and power of prayer.

4. I am thankful for friends who have stood by my side through thick and thin.

5.. I am thankful for finding a new job in Des Moines even before we moved here.

6. I am thankful I have the opportunity to maintain this blog and write on a daily basis.

7. I am thankful for chocolate in all of its forms.

8. I am thankful for our puppy Reese, who makes me laugh uncontrollably — even when he’s misbehaving.

9. I am thankful for all of you readers, and the online community of writers and food bloggers who inspire me and the world on a daily basis.

10. I am thankful for the wonderful gift of love — like chocolate, in all of its forms.

I held my breath as my sister opened the doors to her bridal shower, feeling nervous and eager to see her response to the party I’d planned for her. With a minimal food and decorations budget, I was limited in what I could do, but I tried to do my best with what I had.

“Sis … this is so great! I love it!” she smiled and reached out to hug me.

“Really?” I sighed with relief.

“Yes! Really, you didn’t have to go to all of the trouble…” she said, touching the burlap banner I had made that read “Ashley & Korey.”

“Nonsense. It was no trouble at all,” I replied.

And it was true — the shower had been a lot of work, but it was no trouble at all because it was a labor of love. I wanted my sister to know how much she was loved, and how excited we all were for her. This drove me to work hard and create something wonderful for her — something that would warm her soul.

Though I wish I could say I approached every labor of love with this kind of devoted time, care and enthusiasm, the truth is I don’t always give everything my all. Of course I believe in doing things right, but I’m no perfectionist and I like to do things efficiently. I thrive off of being efficient. It’s one of the things that enables me to work quickly and go above and beyond my to-do list every week. (Lovers of efficiency, can I get an amen?!)

While there’s nothing wrong with being efficient in some areas of life, I fear that sometimes the desire to be efficient can leak into our faith lives as well. Maybe you can relate to this. Say you want to serve but you don’t feel like you have the time. You want to share your faith with someone at work but are worried about what that could mean for your career. You want to cultivate deeper relationships, but your schedule seems too booked for it.

Let me share with you something that God has really been working on in me lately: Following Him isn’t always efficient or convenient — but it’s worth it!Read More

I believe the best medicine for an overwhelmed soul is neither a glass of wine nor a shopping spree (although those things temporarily help every now and then). But no Cabernet Sauvignon or designer handbag can remedy the soul like God’s word can.

Last night, when I sat down to write a blog post, I was so overwhelmed with other things happening in life that I couldn’t focus on the task at hand. Instead of powering through like I normally do, I really felt God telling me to step back and devote myself to meditate on His word instead. So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m meditating on these 10 verses for the overwhelmed spirit. If you’re feeling frenzied today, I want to invite you to take a break and do the same.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 (NLT) 

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety. Psalm 61:2 (NLT) Read More

I remember I was playing Roller Coaster Tycoon the morning it happened.

I remember hearing dishes fall to the floor as my mother stood in the kitchen, speechless over what she watched on the TV. I remember asking lots of questions and not understanding the severity of what was happening. I remember thinking it was a movie. I remember being scared and running into the fold of my mother’s embrace.

But on Sept. 11, 2001, I also remember our family immediately bowed our heads in prayer for everyone involved in the 9/11 attacks, for this nation, and for our world.

14 years later I am amazed at how quickly many of us — including myself — have forgotten to pray for this nation and the world. Though trouble surrounds us just as much as it did then, many of us are silent, or worse, indignant.

In the last few years, amid new terrorist threats and passed legislation, I’ve heard many Christians say, “this nation is going to hell in a handbasket.” When I hear these kinds of statements I cannot help but acknowledge that yes, these do remain dark and difficult times for the United States, especially for Christians. And yet at the same time, I am convicted because in my heart I know that if this nation is going to hell, as many say it is, then what are we doing to stop it from getting there?

We can complain about our nation’s circumstances, but if we lack faith or fail to pray, we are of no good because we are not contributing to a solution.

Friends, let us not forget the power of prayer. On this day, Sept. 11, 2015, may we remember to pray fervently for this great nation and our world. Always. Let us remember that we have the power of the Holy Spirit, who is on our side. Always. Let us remember to be the loving hands and feet of Jesus Christ that we are called to be. Always.

And let us not forget that God is in control. Ask God to intercede on behalf of this nation. Ask God to turn hearts back to Him. Ask God to bring peace where there is chaos and love where there is hate. Ask God to strengthen our churches, families and friendships. Ask God to continue to help us become more like Jesus.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 (NIV)