The Thankfulness Game

As the doors on the back of the ambulance shut, I noticed my body was slightly shaking. Taking a full breath was hard but focusing my mind was even more difficult.  While fighting the urge to cry or panic, I said to the EMT, who was busy assessing my injuries, "I need to play the Thankfulness Game. Is that ok? We take turns saying what we are thankful for." Without waiting for his answer, I told him about a new shirt I had purchased earlier in the day.

He did not respond. Clearly, he did not understand how this was supposed to work.

"Now, it's your turn. What are you thankful for?"
He paused and looked at me. "I'm thankful you are alive."
"Oh, yes, me too......
I'm also thankful for the sweater I'm wearing. I love it. This long open cardigan is more like a jacket. It looks great with a t-shirt and jeans or something more professional".   He did not seem to appreciate how much I liked that sweater.  "Can you help me slip this off so I don't get hospital germs on it?"

He paused again, then responded slowly, as if he was making sure I understood. "I am glad you are alive."

His assessment was correct. My mind was not processing the seriousness of the accident. A jeep went left of center and hit my car head on, leaving it irreparable.  I, however, was able to move my arms and legs AND talk incessantly to this poor man. There were so many important things to add to that thankfulness list.
Who knows why I was going on about a new shirt and my sweater?!  I'm not even into clothes or fashion.
Perhaps when we are dealing with trauma, our minds focus on things that do not really matter as a way to protect us. 

The EMT was very kind. He explained if a person is rushed into the ER with more than one major injury, the patient should be taken to the trauma unit where all of the clothes are cut off.  ... ALL of them .....
To this new revelation, I responded, "I'm pretty sure I only have one injury."
In my mind, I added that revelation to my thankfulness list.

Technically,  listing the things for which you are thankful is not really a game, but a way to focus your mind on your blessings.  When you focus your mind on your blessings, your life begins to change for the better.

The great prophet, Willie Nelson, 😉 is quoted for saying, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

Gratefulness is a gift.
It often has the ability to change our circumstances and even the people around us. It is a lifestyle choice.  Don't experts say it takes 21 days to start a new habit?   (Or is that to break a habit?) It may take some practice. But, using this gift multiple times a day will give you benefits you cannot predict or imagine, far beyond just saving a favorite sweater.

There are a zillion ways to begin using this gift and making it a daily habit. 
- You can start and end your day by making a thankfulness  list.
- You can write it down, say it out loud, pray it or just think through it in your mind.
- You can make it a game or pick one particular area of your life, then list all the things you appreciate about that subject.
For example, while healing from the car accident injuries, I would give thanks for every part of my body that came to my mind, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, paying particular attention to the parts causing me the most pain.  "I am very thankful for my ankle, neck, leg, arm, and sternum. I especially appreciate the protection my sternum has always given to my heart and lungs." Honestly, I had never given thanks for my sternum.

Our bodies are quite amazing!  I agree with the Psalmist who wrote, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it." (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

We will go through difficult times in our lives.  But the gift of gratitude can change how we walk through those times. 

Here is part of my list today: 
I am thankful for the ability to read and write,
for my family and friends and their beautiful encouraging hearts,
for my friends who are reading this (both old, new and even friends I have not met in person yet).
I'm thankful for the gift of gratefulness and the ways it changes my focus, attitude and circumstances.
And you, I'm thankful for you. I appreciate you reading what is on my mind.
Oh, wait!
And my sternum ..... I'm very thankful for my sternum.

I want to encourage you today, my friend, to try it out. For the next 21 days, try to make a list of 10 different things each day for which you are thankful.  

I promise, it is the beginning of a habit you will never regret starting.

The New Diet

There is something about the word "Diet". 

It either repels us or quickly peaks our interest, as if there is new knowledge to help us lose weight or have a better body. 

Well, this will help you achieve better health, but not in the way you may be thinking. 

In January of 2020, I began contemplating a "Word Diet". 

Imagine it like this:

Words equal food.  

Some are rich in nutrients and beneficial for life.
Others are full of empty calories, no nutrients, and full of man made chemicals. .

Listening equals exercise.  But just like food, not all exercise is created equally.

I confess, with my sanguine personality, I have struggled to obtain a “lifestyle change”.  

(Lifestyle change seems to be the term professionals use when they want you to get healthier). 

 To help, I look for sayings and post proverbs near my desk to motivate me to be a better listener and to stop talking so much.

"Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
With their mouths shut, they seem intelligent."

"A wise man will hear and increase in learning. And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel".

The "food" of our own mouths is so important to our overall health. 

Your words are powerful, my friend.  So, powerful!

Proverbs 18: 21 AMP
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

Good and bad, 

life and death.  

We all have a choice with the "Word Food" we choose.  

Gratitude, thanksgiving, prayer, encouraging words - All of these are superfoods. 

Grumbling, gossip, negative talk 

Nothing good can come from these.  These are the empty calories that damage you. 

They not only damage your emotions, but as the above proverb says, they damage your future.  

So, what about an “exercise program”?

Choosing the right “exercise” is crucial.
Listening can be life giving to others and to yourself.  It is a way of showing kindness and love. It is how we gain understanding and knowledge.
But, we also must be careful to protect ourselves from certain "exercises”.

The overhead squat reminds me of listening to THE MEDIA. 

Imagine holding a heaving barbell straight over your head, then squatting down as far as you can before standing back up again.

That pretty much sums up my personal feelings on the media.

Unfortunately, there are even well meaning friends that are "bad for your joints" when they are speaking.

If we spend the majority of our "exercise" on listening to sources that make us better, our overall health improves.  Spend time listening to things that feed your soul, people that inspire you and especially to what is inside of you. 

All of these things are great exercise.  

Let's get fit, my friend! 

Your words are important. Your experiences are valuable.  Even on days when you're not feeling your best, speaking out words of gratitude will change your atmosphere and even your health. 

Loved

 LOVED

Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT (Paul is praying)

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. (19) May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

God’s love for you is immense. It’s like looking up into a clear night sky and realizing it is too big to fully grasp.  It covers the deepest depths of your soul.  It is the perfect love that every person longs for, but no other human can give.  

Only the One who IS Love is even capable of true, complete, real love. 

You, my friend, are the object of that perfect love. 

Before you were even born, God knew you and loved you.  

There is even better news: NOTHING can separate you from that love. You can't even separate yourself from it. Life, death, angels, demons, challenging circumstances, fear or worry (aka not trusting God) - absolutely nothing can change God’s love for you. 

The key now is asking Him to help you experience it and have the mind and heart to understand it the best you can.  Living in the awareness of God’s incredible love for you will change everything.  

Never Forget the Truth - You are truly loved.

•  God, please give me the power, today, to understand how immense your love is for me. Help me experience and fully know the love of Christ. May I live the true fullness of life and power that only comes from You. 

Created

Psalm 139:13-14 (NLT)
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it

Friend, every part of you was designed and crafted by God.  Whether you fit the so-called ordinary human mold or you are differently abled, the Creator personally made you for a purpose for this exact time in history. 
You are a One-of-a-Kind. The Creator never EVER makes a mistake.  There are no accidents with the creation of life, because God loves people.  He absolutely loves you.  This is why you are here. This is why you are reading this reminder right now. 

When an item is hand-crafted with great detail, the artisan is proud of his work. 

A writer is proud of her novel as each word is poured over to create her story.  

A chef is proud of the meal he creates with perfect combinations of flavors and cooking techniques.  

Master creators are proud of their work.
The Ultimate Master Creator is proud of you. 

Our lives are not about our human conception, but about the One who made us, wonderfully and purposefully.  We each have unique abilities that can make the world better.  Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that God created us to accomplish good works that were prepared specifically for us in advance.

Never Forget the Truth - YOU were wonderfully made by the Master Creator.

• Thank you, God, for creating every single part of me. Please help me to understand and appreciate your amazing creations, starting with me. 

Just Be

 

What do you think of these quotes?

“Be still..."
"Cease striving..." 
"Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop striving..."

These words are different versions of a line of the song recorded for us in Psalm 46.

Do you believe it is possible? 

Being still and silent is possible. 

But, cease striving?

I try.

There are places and times where it comes naturally for me, like sunrise on the beach on the east coast.  But the problem is - 

            I live in Central Ohio.  

Perhaps it’s the American way to try to make things happen, to continually be striving.  Many times we do not even realize it. As Nike says, “Just Do It!”
However, those quotes were recorded in the Bible thousands of years ago in the Middle East. It looks like being busy, striving and noise might just be the 'human way'.

In all of those versions, the second half of the line is exactly the same, "... and know that I am God." 

Aha! That is the reason those words are so important. 

Be still. ‘Just be’ with God, no matter what is happening around you. It can mean time alone in a quiet place or simply closing your eyes and breathing for a few moments when everything around you is chaotic or stressful. It is the place inside where your trust and peace are renewed.

If you read the whole song, you will see it starts by declaring that God is our refuge. He is present with us in our troubles.  Then the writer says we will not fear when

• mountains crumble into the sea, 

• the earth quakes,

• waters roar  AND

• mountains shake because of the raging waters.

Ummm - To be honest, I might be a bit afraid if I witnessed that.

Can you imagine the 2020 version of those two verses?  It could start like this.         

Therefore, we will not be afraid when swarms of locust destroy the crops, when a terrible virus hits every nation or when wildfires ravage the land.
I'm sure you could add your own lines to this.  There are plenty of events to choose in 2020.

Is it possible that all of the shaking, whether physical or emotional, is actually good?
Is it possible, without the shaking, we will not get to a place  where we regularly are still and cease striving, so we can know and trust God? 

It makes me think of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob. He is often known as “Joseph with the coat of many colors”,

As a teenager, God gave him dreams of his future.  But Joseph was unable to "do" anything to accomplish them. His life took a turn that looked like it was the opposite direction of his dreams.
He was -rejected by his own brothers
    -sold into slavery
    -falsely accused and imprisoned
And then, forgotten for years by another prisoner that promised to mention Joseph’s plight to the pharaoh. 

That is some serious shaking!

Even though others could see God's favor on Joseph, while he was a slave and a prisoner, Joseph had to think he had misinterpreted his dreams.  His dreams showed him as the greatest star and the largest stalk of wheat being worshipped by stars and wheat that represented his family.

There was absolutely nothing Joseph could do to "make" his destiny happen. No planning or striving could get him into a position where others would bow to him, especially not his family.  He may have been promoted when he was a slave and a prisoner.  But he was still a slave and a prisoner,

Joseph's future and Joseph's life belonged to God. 

He just had to do the next task in front of him the best that he could. No amount of “striving” would accomplish God’s plan. Only God could give him favor and success.

So why was Joseph shown his future?

Was it so Joseph could start working on his 5 year plan to make it happen?  Or so Joseph could start promoting and positioning himself to be a great and powerful leader? 

I cannot tell you why God gave him these dreams.  I can only tell you, he continued to be faithful to God despite the terrible things that happened to him.  He trusted God when his "position" looked bad.  God gave him favor while he was a slave and a prisoner.  Then, in God's perfect time, Joseph was able to humbly and wisely step into his position of power.  

No matter his status among men, Joseph always remained God's faithful servant. 

Friend, in our current circumstances, we can cease striving and be still because God can be trusted. 
You are His precious child.
He delights in you. 
Most importantly, nothing can stop God's destiny for you as you continue to come to Him.
The very things that may be shaking you now are actually positioning you, both inside and out.  

I know it can be hard to believe.  I know it can feel like you need to DO something. 

But just like Joseph, you are dearly loved.
Just like Joseph, God has a purpose and plan for you.
AND nothing can thwart God's plan!

Are you familiar with Jeremiah 29:11?  It was recorded as the Israelites were being removed from their home and taken to another land as captives.
Things were very very bad for them at the exact moment these words were written.  From their view, it looked like their nation was being completely annihilated. 
"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." 

If you read the history of Israel, you will know that God did have a plan to bring them back and restore them as a nation. 

Just like Joseph and the Israelites, there is a plan to prosper you and give you hope and a future.

When we take time to ‘just be’ before God, that hope is renewed.

Never Forget the Truth.....
Nothing can stop God's perfect plan for you. 

Corn Smart

Book Smart * Street Smart * Corn Smart

You have probably heard of the first two.  They  may even be words that have been used to describe you or someone you know.

But, corn smart????

My part of the country is known for growing many of our nation's staples, like corn, potatoes and wheat.  Therefor, the residents develop skills others around  the country may not have mastered as well, 
        like shucking corn. 


I had no idea this was a special skill until I moved to Florida. I was invited to a cookout with a friend from Miami.  We were at the store deciding what side dish to bring, when I grabbed ears of corn and described a delicious dish. She giggled a little but did not say anything until we were in the kitchen.  I began tearing the husks off of the corn and complaining about the pathetic tiny kernels. 
"I can't believe you call this corn. What am I supposed to do with these tiny little crumbs posing as corn?"
She laughed and laughed, then gladly shared the humor she found in the fact, her only friend from Ohio, not only knew the term "shucking corn", but complained about the quality of the Florida variety. 

Hey! In Ohio, you do not have to grow up in the country to have a lot of experience with fresh corn. If you travel between the 3 C's (Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland), you will definitely see corn fields and cows. 

Since that day, I felt kind of proud of my corn expertise. But this summer, my husband purchased 26 ears at a farm stand while visiting his family in northwest Ohio.  I was surprised by his correction of my corn shucking technique. After 25 years of marriage, it was clear we had never conquered this task together.

In my mind, I wondered if this is how he felt whenever I gave him driving suggestions (If you are a new bride, I do not recommend it).   I did not share my thought out loud. Instead, in a less than gracious tone, I responded, "Just because I did not grow up right across the street from corn, does not mean I don't  know what I'm doing!"

I know. Childish, right?
Perhaps, I'm not always "Midwest nice".

But soon I noticed he had finished cleaning four ears in the time it took me to clean one. 
Fine!

I swallowed my pride and took his advice.

  
Who knew you could get rid of the husk in 3 quick motions? 
Well, my husband did,

                as well as his family

                       and probably a lot of other expert corn huskers (They are not just in Nebraska).

Clearly, I should have been quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become..... irritated. 

But what about things more important than corn?
There is always more to learn in life, even about things we think we know.

True wisdom starts with a humble heart, a heart ready to learn from God first and then from others. 

One of my favorite Proverbs by King Solomon says,
"Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. " (Proverbs 18:13).

It took ears of corn to remind me to be humble and keep my own ears open.

Others know more than me when I least expect it. LOL

My friend, we all have knowledge and wisdom that others need,
        just like they have knowledge and wisdom we need. 

Never Forget the Truth...... It really is better to be a listener.